Allergies Everyday: Children's Books on Allergies

Allergies can be hard for children to understand. They may also feel alone because everyone they know can eat foods that are life-threatening to them. There were some pretty clever authors out there that had decided on helping to teach kids through books. I have 3 of them and I will be telling you about them. I read them with my son again today. He loves it because he sees that they have things in common. He even "read the books" to me. It was very darling but he did a pretty good job getting the key points, or what he thought were the key points, across.

The First book is for the younger kids. It was written to help pre-school aged children understand allergies in themselves or others around them. That just happened to be perfect because my son is pre-school aged. In fact, I sent the book in with him to his early intervention class to be read.

Allie the Allergic Elephant

by Nicole Smith

This book is about an elephant named Allie that is allergic to peanuts. It tells children that although elephants like peanuts, peanuts don't like Allie. It shows that Allie wears a medic alert bracelet. Every time we get to that point in the story my son points it out and puts his bracelet up to the book saying that they match. It helps him to relate and not feel alone.

The book tells children to say no to foods that are unknown and why. It even shows pictures of what will happen if she eats the peanut her friend has offered.

Lastly, it shows you some foods that can have hidden peanuts in them.

I would suggest this book to anyone that has a small child with food allergies. It is a fun, interactive and informational book that will help you to explain what allergies are. It is also good to keep around to show other children to help explain what food allergies are.

The second book I have is a great book for all ages. It is a fun rhyming book about allergies. Not only that, but it has all of the Big 8 food allergies in it.

The BugaBees

friends with food allergies

by Amy Recob

This book is about 8 bug friends that all have a different food allergy. They talk about each bug individually being allergic to a specific food but all of them say "No thank you. It's really okay. I can still have lots of fun without peanuts anyway" replacing the word peanuts with the different allergens per bug.

After the story is finished there are pages where children are asked questions and told to identify things that my have the allergen in them.

This is a cute book that my children love and is a wonderful tool in helping to teach children about food allergies.

The last book that I have, as of now, is geared more toward children that are in elementary school. My son can still understand it but it is a great option for children in the school setting.

The Peanut Butter Jam

by Elizabeth Sussman Nassau

This book is about a child that feels isolated because of his allergies. It is making him feel as if he does not belong.

I love this book because it touches on bullying. Allergy children are picked on often about their allergies even to the point where other children and throwing that food at them. (I just read a study on this)

In this instance the child is fed up with it and decides to join in on the class project which includes using peanut butter to make a bird feeder. He ends up with a reaction and being rushed to the nurses office. the nurse gives him his shot before he is taken to the ambulance and on to the hospital. The book explains that being bullied and taunted should not be enough to put your life in danger and points out that there are groups for children to get involved with to find others to relate to.