Today's read heads in a more helpful direction and is one in a series of books, which centers on children and disabilities. I'm very particular when it comes to books in these directions, but due to the good amount of great reviews, wanted to give it a go. Plus, two of my siblings suffered from asthma, and I'm curious to see how this author handles the topic. But I'm hoping it keeps the child-reader in mind and doesn't preach at them.
So, let's see if this book gets a thumbs up from me or not!
MY LIFE AS AN ASTHMANAUT
Disability Books for Kids
by Jake Lockett
Illustrated by Adriana Predoi
Free Spirit Publishing
Picture Book
36 pages
ages 5 to 9
COMING APRIL 14th!!!
A child’s relatable reflections on what it’s like to live with asthma In My Life as an Asthmanaut, a young boy explains what it’s like to live with asthma. When an asthma attack occurs, Jacob feels like an astronaut floating off to outer space— with an empty air tank. Sometimes outer space is lonely—Jacob can’t always join his family and friends when they exercise or play outside during allergy season. But he has tools to manage his asthma. He stays calm as he reaches for his inhaler to refill his air tank. He counts to 10 and comes back down to earth, where he can breathe easily, surrounded by people who love him. And when Jacob sees someone else who’s low on air, he helps them find solid ground too.
Key Features:
Offers an honest portrayal from an author who lives with asthma, describing what it’s like to experience asthma attacks and how kids manage it
Celebrates disability joy and offers an empowering self-representation for disabled kids
Helps children develop empathy and understanding with first-person storytelling from a child’s perspective
Centers disabled voices by drawing on the author’s experience with asthma
The Disability Books for Kids Series series explores visible and invisible disability in the first person, as seen through the eyes of children and written from lived experience. The series builds allyship, challenges ableism, and celebrates difference, empowering and educating all readers. Each book includes an author’s note to the reader.
MY TIDBITS
With an eye on the stars, a boy goes through daily life with asthma and doesn't let it get in his way, as he handles it with thought and care.
Jacob dreams of space and the stars, but while his thoughts can soar, he has his a few difficulties to master on Earth. Asthma makes him feel different from others, and often, alone. He sees it like he's drifting alone in space and, suddenly, loses oxygen. Luckily, his inhaler can come to the rescue. Plus, he has other tools he's learned which help. While he finds these moments difficult, he also knows that many around him like and love him. And he can even help others, who have the same problem as him.
This read centers on a child's challenge with asthma. Jacob goes through various activities, which can set the problem off. Each of these are familiar scenes, readers can easily identify with. When Jacob's asthma attacks strike, he knows how to handle it...and this makes the book great for kids, who find themselves in the same (or similar) situation. While Jacob explains the various items and techniques he uses, it doesn't come across as preachy, either. Instead, Jacob is relaxed and tells exactly how it is. His dreams of space, add a fun and imaginative twist, which keeps things light and inspires, too. As it rounds off, there's a sense of helping others, which also shows how those without asthma can stand at someone's side and assist them.
While there's an obvious message and purpose to these pages, it's well done and keeps the young reader in mind. The illustrations maintain a cheerful atmosphere and don't let moments grow overly heavy even when Jacob needs to deal with his asthma. The space scenes step everything up another notch and bring across the planets and stars with a sense of adventure and dreams. It adds a hopeful direction and lets a little imagination flow in as well. The entire thing is narrated from Jacob with a few lines of text for each scene. This flows naturally and well, and is just long enough to bring across each point clearly with growing too long. Add the glossary of terms in the back and a personal note from the author, and this is a helpful read to raise awareness of asthma or give to those who battle with it themselves.
And here he is...
Jake Lockett writes books and stories for children, including My Life as an Asthmanaut. His short stories for young readers have appeared in Smarty Pants Kids, Skipping Stones, and Spider. Jake enjoys learning about space, exploring nature, building Lego sets, and watching movies on his home theater projector. He resides in the forested Allegheny Mountains, where the night skies are clear and blanketed with countless stars!
