a pet, or even two.
But every time I brought one home,
my sister went
Ah-Choo!
I'm happy to have Lana Wayne Koehler on the blog today, one of the authors of the book Ah-Choo! It's a story about a boy who wants so badly to have a pet but he can't because his sister is allergic. The text is clever and rhythmical and would make a wonderful class read aloud.
Take it away Lana...
As I sit in my air-conditioned office watching the squirrels
scamper up and down trees in the yard, I
wonder what would happen if a squirrel
had allergies. Would their eyes itch? Would their nose run? Would they sneeze?
My eyes itch, my nose runs, and I do sneeze—often! I’ve had
allergies most of my life and it was when I was sitting in my allergist’s
office that I thought about writing a children’s book about allergies.
While doing my research for the book, I found out that
allergies in humans are well documented and common. In fact, they’re one of the
most common diseases in the USA. They affect 30% of adults and 40% of children.
Most people exhibit classic signs such as coughing, itchy eyes, runny nose, and
sneezing. For some, allergies can lead to more serious complications like
asthma, hives, and even death. It’s the third most common disease in children
under the age of 18.
 |
| Author photo provided from www.lanakoehler.com |
However, animals are the biggest allergy of all for me.
I know that a lot of people love their pet cats.
Unfortunately, cats are especially lethal for me. I can go into an allergy
attack if I sit in a chair after a cat owner has been there. Sometimes, it’s
put a real damper in my ability to travel.
A few years ago, I was offered the opportunity to spend the
summer vacationing in the south of France. The owners of the house where we
would stay had a cat. What could I do? It was the south of France! So I cautiously
accepted their kind invitation. Fortunately, a relative was able to care for
the cat and I was able to spend the summer living out my dream in France!
In Ah-Choo!, I
wanted the brother to be sympathetic to his sister’s plight. While he REALLY wants
a pet, he’s willing to go to any lengths to find one that won’t make her
sneeze. Who wouldn’t want a big brother
like that?
Some of the animals in the book are exotic. Has anyone here
ever seen a dog from Kathmandu? It’s a special breed from Nepal and our
illustrator, Ken Min, did a fabulous job of depicting him. Ken mentioned that he had to do a lot of
research to find pictures of some of the pets. His humorous approach really
brings the animals to life!
Gloria G. Adams and I had fun with the repetition in Ah-Choo!. As a former librarian, Gloria
knew that it would engage the children for story hour. We also hoped that kids
at home would have fun sneezing along with the little girl. We’d love to hear
how your children or grandchildren react to the sneezing. Visit our Facebook pages: Lana Wayne
Koehler, Author or Gloria G. Adams. Leave a post and we’ll reply!
Although I don’t have any specific allergies to food, I do
have sensitivities to foods like breads and sugar. And, while I’m not allergic,
I don’t eat oatmeal. EVER!
Not eating certain foods has put a damper on my ability to
eat my way through a city like I did when I was younger. Since I’m from Upstate
New York, I grew up on all kinds of spicy, exotic, delicious foods. Sometimes,
I still indulge in the foodie delights of my youth and bear the consequences.
Looking ahead, I suppose that it’s time to think about
writing a book about food allergies and sensitivities. What would that look
like?
Which puts me back in my office looking out at the squirrels
scampering up and down the trees in our yard and wondering what would happen if
any of them had an allergy to nuts…
Resources:
Thanks for joining me on the blog today Lana!
Ah-Choo! by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria Adams, illustrated by Ken Min
Published: March 1, 2016
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book
Audience: Primary
Disclosure: Finished copy provided by publisher
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