Book of the Month for February 2019

Book of the Month for February 2019

Reading Matters

Shine charity knows that reading really matters for language development and recommends books with a positive and inclusive message for babies and children every month.

This month ‘The Unstoppable Maggie McGee’ stopped us all in our tracks!

This beautiful, unflinching story that discovers joy in a child’s experience of hospital life is as warm-hearted and unstoppable as Maggie herself.

‘The Unstoppable Maggie McGee’

written by Juliet Clare Bell and illustrations by Dave Gray in support of Birmingham Children’s Hospital

The day begins with Maggie and her friend, Sol, asleep in their hospital beds. When Maggie wakes up with big plans for an adventure in the hospital garden, it’s raining.

But there’s no stopping Maggie … With help from her friends and family and a powerful imagination, can she turn this ordinary, rainy day into something quite extraordinary?

Take a look at Unstoppable Maggie website for the story behind the creation of this heart-warming book -  https://www.unstoppablemaggie.co.uk/behind-the-story

Picture Book Den has a short film about the writing of ‘The Unstoppable Maggie McGee’ and information about other books too.

http://picturebookden.blogspot.com/2015/10/an-exciting-picture-book-commission.html

Recommended Books for children

Parents and carers often ask Shine for recommended books about continence so that their children can become continence confident. Shine, as well as other charities and organisations, have several publications to help children to understand their condition, which are listed below.

Shine publications

• Bella Bear Books - ‘Our New Baby’ and ‘Now I am Four’
• My Big B&B Book – How to keep your bowel and bladder healthy and happy 

Books published by Continence Organisations

Hollister                                                                                                         

• ‘Russell - Swimming success’
• ‘Millie goes to camp’

Coloplast

• ‘Katie and her catheter’
• ‘Charlie and his catheter’
• ‘Perry and Tina Bowel management’

Mitrofanoff

• ‘Just like you and Smarty’

LoFric

• ‘Derek the Dolphin’ 

ERIC – Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity

• ‘A girl like you’ and ‘A Boy like you’ for 6-12 years
• ‘Pirate Pete and the Fearsome Skids’ free to download https://www.eric.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=4b7f537f-8b27-4e32-8a87-0f8f11f66b05
• Help at school FAQs - https://www.eric.org.uk/help-at-school-faqs

General Books for Children about Continence

• ‘Everybody Poos’ by Taro Gomi
• ‘I want my Potty!’ by Tony Ross
• ‘On my Potty’ by Leslie Patricelli
• ‘Who’s on the Loo?’ by Jeanne Willis
• ‘Pip and Posy – The Little Puddle’ by Axel Scheffler
• ‘Softy the Poop’ by TR Duhamel and website https://www.theinsandoutsofpoop.com/

When Out and About

• Bladder and Bowel UK have ‘Just Can’t Wait’ cards and resources for when talking about going to the toilet - https://www.bbuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/A4-TALK-ABOUT-GOING-TO-THE-TOILET-2017-1.pdf
• Changing Places has a list of accessible toilets - http://www.changing-places.org/news.aspx
• Special Education Resource Centre, SERC, has ‘I Can't Wait’ cards and Toilet Time resource pack http://redbridgeserc.org/resources/entry/toilet-time-resource-pack-helping-children-with-special-needs-understand-to
• The Breakaway Foundation supports children with bladder/bowel dysfunction/diversion and their families, providing Buttony Bear free to children undergoing surgery for a stoma or ACE procedure. https://www.breakawayfoundation.org.uk/buttony-bear/