Aidan the Wonder Kid review
Aidan the Wonder Kid Who Could Not Be Stopped!
A Food Allergy & Intolerance Story Review
We partnered with Colleen Brunetti to review her book Aidan the Wonder Kid Who Could Not Be Stopped! A Food Allergy & Intolerance Story.
Review by Mena
Let’s start with the appearance
The illustrations are full of life, light and positivity with their crayon feel. They accompany the story visually well and are full of nuance. As with most children’s books, these enhance the reading experience with a child allowing the adult reader to pause and discuss the details and ask questions which is so important in a book addressing food allergy and food intolerance so that the conversations can happen in an organic manner.
The type style is reminiscent of poetry, at times there are few words on the page and at others a word’s appearances reflects its meaning. For example, “summersault” and “front flip” stand out implying these motions. This variation is nice so that the audience does not feel like any page is too long creating a balance. The layout also flows well with the plot points.
The story
One word: RELATABLE! I am the “Super Smart Detective Mom” and my allergy kids are Wonder Kids.
OMGoodness! What a fun and positive story for allergy kids, their friends and family. The best part is that this is really a great story for anyone; it exudes such positivity that a reader might not mind being a Wonder Kid with food restrictions.
So often allergy awareness seems to be negative in that it focuses on what could go wrong, but not here: There is a positive protagonist whose mom has a get-it-done approach reminding the reader / audience that even with a food restriction, we can be our best selves AND enjoy life, family and friends.
Verdict: Do you recommend?
This is a great story for awareness without an in-your-face presentation; that is, the story naturally presents food allergies and intolerances awareness in a relatable, simple manner.
I totally recommend this book to parents of kids with food restrictions. It should be in school libraries everywhere! After the story, the author offers questions for discussion of the story as well as resources. This is a great way to continue the dialogue.
Review by Mini-Foodie A
Mini-Foodie A is our eldest and first allergy kiddo who happens to have the most restrictive diet of the kiddos. She is a foodie and adores reading. She was tasked for home-school with reading Aidan’s story to her younger sisters and following up with a written review, so here is her take on Aidan’s story…
“The illustrations go well with the story-line. The story shows that it is okay to have food allergies and need special foods. It also says that you need to steer clear of allergens and that it is okay because your family will help you and you are not alone, you are not the only kid with allergies.”
As I read her words, I see that from an allergy-kid’s perspective, this story is one of acceptance as well as one of encouragement. So, if you know a Wonder Kid who needs encouragement on her / his food and health journey, please share this beautiful book with her or him. If you are a teacher of Wonder Kids, please consider adding this book to your curriculum even if you teach middle or high school as allergy awareness is not limited to our wee ones and, as a literary professor, I find that there is value in returning to children’s books for literary lessons.
If you would like to order your own copy of Aidan the Wonder Kid, click on the link.
Thank you Colleen for such a such a positive story and Dan for awesome illustrations.
Check out Colleen’s work at: www.ColleenBrunetti.com
Check out Dan’s work on Instagram @DanCarstenIllustration
