Customer Reviews

Even Little Kids Get Diabetes (Albert Whitman Prairie Books)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

As a mother of a child (age 7.5) who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes this summer, I looked up any book that might help present his condition to his friends and classmates this fall at school.
This one came with good rating, I bought it, and returned.
Not only that it is obsolete (quote "... I don't ever eat candy or ice cream or cake ...", recommendation from the early 20th century), it is insensitive (quote "... My sister thought diabetes meant I would die..."), and it is insulting that it was not updated since 1994 with a more medically accurate and more cheerfull attitude (quote "...my mom cries because she worries...").

If you need a book on the subject, pick a more accurate, medically sane, and straight-forward (like "My own Type 1 Diabetes Book" by Sandra J. Hollenberg)...If you think that kids with type 1 should never, ever eat candy, find another doctor. But please, don't buy this book.

This book is wonderful! I am the mother of a two year old child recently diagnosed with diabetes. The hospital staff brought a copy of this book to my daughter and from the first reading, it helped her understand what was happening to her. My daughter's story is almost identical to that of the child in the story and this similarity made it easier for her to take her injections and blood tests. We were so happy with the book we ordered it from Amazon as soon as we brought her home. She still reads her book regularly. She really does think it is about her!

My now 17 year old son was diagnosed with diabetes 16 years ago. I purchased this book when it first came out. It is by far the WORST book ever written for children with diabetes. I have bought and read many books about diabetes over the years. Pirner's book is extremely negative and filled with misinformation. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. There are many other books out there that are empowering and not depressing. Spare your precious child from this one. I wanted to give it zero stars but didn't have the option.

Kudos for a job well done! Mrs. Pirner is able to give a parent's perspective in helping readers to understand and visualize the dynamics that diabetes plays within a family. It seems that we all can learn so much from someone who "walks the walk" rather than from the professionals who don't have to live with it twenty-four hours a day.

I am the mother of a newly diagnosed 5 year old boy. After coming home from the hospital, we purchased this book and read it to him, our 7 year old niece, and his classmates. It has made a tremendous difference in his acceptance and his friends understanding. They now understand why he has to have an extra snack before recess that they do not get. They have even started singing.. "Bryson has to eat the right food at the right time!" The book also contains one page addressed to the parents that is very informational and to the point. This is a must have book!!!!!

I still read the book to my daughter who is 6 now - dx'd at age 3, but I change the wording to fit our treatment plan. The character states in the book that she "never eats sweets or candy" not even for birthdays or halloween. This is an out of date statement. Kids with diabetes do eat sweets and candies in moderation - just as all children should.

While this book might be entirely appropriate for children who were ill when diagnosed with diabetes, it could be disturbing for children who were diagnosed at a routine physical with no symptoms and have not experienced any of the complications discussed in the book.

We've purchased this book as part of an information package that we give to children who are newly diagnosed. Some of the issues are clearly outdated (for example, the child with DM having to eat the cake without icing whereas now we know that, using carbohydrate counting, this is not necessarily the case). There are positive aspects to the book-reinforcement that there are "special things" that you have to do to stay healthy-blood glucose checks, insulin injections etc... but above all, "you're (still)a regular kid." The book also touches on parental grief/anger at the disease, sibling jealousy, a child's perspective that diabetes means you'll "die" because of the first syllable of the word, "diabetes." In the eyes of our office staff, the positive aspects of this book outweigh the negative or "outdated" material.Maybe a revised edition or sequel could have info on the insulin pump!

My daughter now age 3, absolutely loves this book. She treasures it more than any others. It's true that it does have some outdated material such as not being able to eat certain things, but for her that worked out fine for me anyway because of her multiple food allergies so shes' still limited on what she can have even if it's not because of her diabetes.

Please do not buy this book if you have a child just recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It is very negative and does not accurately represent what children can actually have or not have in terms of food, etc. With the advances in diabetes care children are able to participate in a variety of activites and eat almost any type of food - as long as they are dosed for it. The part about the child not able to eat cake at a birthday party is absurd. Skip this one - there are far better resources available.