The Great Katie Kate Explains Epilepsy
$14.95
A book designed specifically to help young epilepsy patients understand their condition and overcome their fears
When Jimmy is diagnosed with epilepsy, he starts to worry. What is happening to my body? Am I ok? Does this mean I m different from other kids?
Jimmy and the other young patients in the neurologist’s office get a visit from the Great Katie Kate, a spunky redheaded superhero who appears when kids get worried. Katie Kate takes the children on a medical adventure to learn about the various forms of epileptic seizures and treatments. Along the way, they meet the Worry Wombat, a creature that appears when worries loom large. As Jimmy and his new friends to ask questions about their condition and its triggers, they make the Worry Wombat disappear!
This superhero saga provides an entertaining and indispensable tool for parents and medical professionals who are seeking a positive way to help young epilepsy patients understand their condition and deal with their fears. As a well-respected physician who specializes in the treatment of women and children, the author presents challenging medical concepts in clear, accurate, and understandable prose.
This is the fourth book in the Great Katie Kate series, helping young children with serious illnesses understand their condition and live with confidence.
Publisher : Greenleaf Book Group Press
Publication date : January 7, 2014
Language : English
Print length : 32 pages
ISBN-10 : 1626340072
ISBN-13 : 978-1626340077
Item Weight : 13.1 ounces
Reading age : 3 – 5 years
Dimensions : 8.41 x 0.4 x 10.27 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #390,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #34 in Epilepsy #314 in Children’s Books on Diseases & Physical Illness #669 in Children’s Superhero Science Fiction
Customer Reviews: 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 113 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Hanna –
Great book
We purchased this book to help explain epilepsy to my child’s classmates after their diagnosis. It’s a wonderful book and was helpful to explain to younger kids.
A. Sims –
Awesome book on easing fear and anxiety around a misunderstood scary experience
My child has epilepsy and she LOVES this book. We have read other books about epilepsy but I think she likes the main character and the worry wombat and has me read it to her over and over again. Her babysitter is a teacher and wanted to take it to school to teach the other kids and teachers! She had no idea about all of the types of seizures . This book does a good job of explaining in simple terms what seizures are, how they affect your body, and what you can do to help. It definitely takes some of the worry out of epilepsy in a fun, effective way. Good quality and happy drawings. Obviously the author is Australian so you may have to explain what a wombat is to your kiddo–but more opportunity to find out about creatures from other countries!
Christina Johansson –
Lovely! A great tool for kids
I got this book for my daughter. She was diagnosed recently, and I thought it would be good for her to have something from a kid’s perspective. It’s so great! I love how it is simple but matter-of-fact, and it talks about different types of seizures (there are many types)! I have epilepsy too, and I wish I had a book like this when I was a kid! This book makes you feel like epilepsy is just another chronic disease, and if you manage it, you’ll be ok. You have no idea how much that means to someone who grew up with the stigma and loneliness that epilepsy can bring.Great work!
Briahlen L. Hand –
An Excellent Way to Explain Epilepsy to Small Children
This isn’t the first children’s book on epilepsy I’ve purchased. We had previously bought Mommy I Feel Funny. While that book was moderately OK, I felt like it still didn’t help my 5yo daughter understand her condition. Since I had heard good things about The Great Katie Kate, I thought I’d give it a try. I’m really glad I did.THE GOOD:What I like most about this book is that it explains different forms of epilepsy in a way that makes it easy for young children to understand without feeling like it’s talking down to them. It somehow manages to NOT sound like it’s reading directly from a medical book. The Great Katie Kate talks about how it’s important to take care of yourself (like getting enough sleep or taking medicine) to help prevent seizures. It also goes over some of the procedures kids will face after being diagnosed with epilepsy such as EEG, MRI, & getting your blood drawn.THE BAD:In the story, it says that medicine won’t taste bad as it’s just a pill that’s swallowed with water. This is inaccurate for small children that can’t take pills. My 5yo takes a liquid form of Keppra & Clobazam which tastes awful. So awful I’ve had to go back to what I’d learned from my party days & teach her to shoot it like freaking whiskey. The Great Katie Kate also describes the MRI as not being a painful experience. Again, this is technically true, & fine for older children. Little ones, often need to be put under anesthesia. While the IV is uncomfortable, the medication itself can be extremely painful. I understand why that isn’t included given the major theme of the book. However, my 5yo was quick to point out that it wasn’t true for her experience. It doesn’t explain auras either. My last complaint is a minor one. The dog. The author must have said his name 6 times on the first page. It’s a little repetitive, but they do move on afterward.ALL & ALL:I highly recommend this book. The art is charming & the themes of the story are relatable for children. The Great Katie Kate is a wonderful addition to any household that wants to explore the topic of epilepsy. If you’re a teacher that wants to talk about epilepsy in the classroom it’s absolutely perfect for that as well. Beyond education, there are two major themes of this book. The first is normalizing the condition. The book is quick to point out how shockingly common epilepsy is.The second (& largest) theme is about overcoming fear. The fear of being different, pain, change, medication & testing. This is all shown through the Worry Wombat. A few other reviewers didn’t care for it. I think it’s an intrinsic aspect of the story. As Jimmy learns more about his condition, his fears (Worry Wombat) slowly start to grow smaller & smaller as well. This really worked for my little girl & went a long way to helping her overcome her anxiety about having seizures. If your child or someone you know has epilepsy, this is a great book for helping them work through & understand the subject. It’s not perfect, but it’s a fantastic resource.
Adamom –
Helps children of all ages understand what is happening
This book is good at explaining a lot of what a child might go through when diagnosed with Epilepsy. The illustrations are accurate yet engaging. My younger two children have enjoyed it since they were very young (less than a year old). It helps them understand their big sister’s Epilepsy. My daughter with Epilepsy finds it useful to understand and talk about the process.
MeganH78 –
and he has enjoyed this book (as his choice) repeatedly everything evening this …
My 5 year old son was recently diagnosed with partial onset epilepsy, and he has enjoyed this book (as his choice) repeatedly everything evening this week. The book does a great job explaining that there are different kinds of seizures, how to get tested for these, and how to take care of yourself as well. He has really enjoyed the story, and we use it as a conversation means to make sure he knows who to tell if he feels funny, and how he needs to take care of himself.
Juanita K –
Perfect for small children, sibs, friends,family who are all touched by this disease
My 3 yr old Granddaughter was just diagnosed with Epilepsy and she has a 10 yr old sister, so I bought these books to help them both learn about this disease as they discover and discuss the new normal their family is now living in. My Son and his wife give it an AAA+++
Anna Warner –
Awesome book
Love love love this book. My 5yr old is diagnosed with epilepsy and this book is her favorite. It opened doors for more communication about her condition and how to navigate it.
Caledonian Queen –
What a fantastic book this is! My four year old is waiting to see a neurologist and is worried about why her head keeps feeling funny. Great Katie Kate wonderfully explains the different types of epilepsy and takes children on a journey showing nthe different tests they may undergo. Along with Sarah Jayne has staring moments, this is the book of choice for my 4 year old every night since it arrived! What a fantastic idea these books are, if only there was a great katie kate book to explain autism for my little boy.
Katy Stagg –
Extremely relate-able. My son was only two when diagnosed and could follow the book when it was read to him. He enjoys sharing it with friends and family. Every hospital/ doctor’s office dealing with childhood epilepsy should have this book.
debbie –
Lent this to a family and they have found it invaluable to talk with child about epilepsy and child is showing no signs of concern about it now.
Shal57 –
Brilliant book. Bought this for my eldest granddaughter to help her understand what is happening to her little sister.
Amazon Customer –
Absolutely great….explains in kids terms.