Grandpa Diet and Diabetes by Laura Williams

Grandpa Diet and Diabetes by Laura Williams
Buy Grandpa Diet and Diabetes by Laura Williams at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Summary: A very good way to introduce the reality of living with diabetes to the very young. The problems are laid out but there's nothing too graphic - and Grandpa does live a very active life!
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 24	Date: March 2017
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1524667641
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Nick's Mum is an accident and emergency nurse and life can get a bit hectic at times, particularly when she has to arrange for someone to look after Nick and his twin sister Emma. One day in the school holidays Grandpa had the pleasure of looking after the kids and Nick thought this was cool. Grandpa used to be a bit of a rocker, you see, and that's the sort of music he always has playing. He might have a stick but Nick's sure that he doesn't really need it - it's there just in case. He does have a problem though and Mum explains it by saying that Grandpa has to eat at the right time every day because he has diabetes.

Whilst the kids had a fry up at the local cafe for lunch, Grandpa said that he had to be good and have a chicken sandwich. He said it was because he was watching his waistline... It didn't stop him playing with the kids in the park though - including getting stuck on the slide. The kids know that they have to look after Grandpa as much as he looks after them. You see, because of Grandpa's type 2 diabetes he doesn't have a lot of feeling in his feet and hands and it's easy for him to injure himself without realising.

I liked that Grandpa explained to Nick and Emma what all bodies need to keep running effectively - fresh food and not too many sugars compared to fast food and microwave meals. He was excellent on the problems caused by carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, rice and pasta which contain a lot of sugars even though they don't taste sweet. He's clear too about the need some diabetics have for medicine to stop your blood getting too sticky and that exercise is essential. It's all done very cleverly by using a car engine to demonstrate the points, which are put across clearly without being in the least frightening. It also lays down some ground rules for the way we should all be living.

There's a diagram of the different food groups and I would have liked a little more discussion of this - it rather relies on adult input to explain that the good stuff is at the bottom of the pyramid, where it's wider and the occasional treats at the top - where you can only squeeze a little of the soda, candy, cookies and desert in! There's a workbook to check that we've understood the points being made and whilst I would have liked the answers to be available they can - in fairness - be found easily in the book.

The story will appeal to children in the five-plus age group and I liked that whilst Grandpa might be looking after the children they, in their turn, were looking after him. It's good to encourage that feeling of responsibility even in seven year olds. It's a good age too to encourage good eating habits, although I was pleased to see that it wasn't pointed out that Grandpa might well have type 2 diabetes because he hadn't always eaten healthily.

It's good for children to understand the problems of old age. We were also impressed by Grandma by Jessica Shepherd which looks at what happens when a dearly-loved grandparent suffers from dementia.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Grandpa Diet and Diabetes by Laura Williams at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Grandpa Diet and Diabetes by Laura Williams at Amazon.com.

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