Peter's Special Concoction: How a Little Boy Learned to Manage Type 1 Diabetes

My 5 yr old was just diagnosed. This was a wonderful book to read with him! He’s been scared of the shots and this helped. The song snd the recipe were special touches too. Thank you!

Peter, the main character, can climb trees and make salads at a family restaurant but apparently has never been to the doctor before? The narrator reports his astute observations but no one asks him how he is feeling- because what, he couldn't answer? Tons of unnecessary detail gets in the way of the story and the point - which is to demystify diabetes for kids. I'm sorry but my kids would not sit still for this at any age. It takes 5 chapters ( out of 8) before the book starts talking about diabetes. It also has factual inconsistencies. There is a nice moment when his father demonstrates by checking his own blood sugar level. But then again, this kid who can't articulate much before now, goes on to write a song about his blood cells. What?

Peter's Special Concoction takes a difficult life situation, a type 1 diabetes diagnosis at a young age, and puts that situation into a relatable and educational story form. I love this book because the story takes families and children through the step by step process of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Children can relate to the variety of feelings Peter has all throughout the process. Children can be empowered by learning the vocabulary that are a part of a type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Children and families can learn strategies shared throughout the story to help cope with confusing, scary, or worrisome situations. Angela Cleveland is able to convey all of these elements through a very heart-warming family story that can be used by parents and professionals alike to help support children who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Having any kind of medical condition for a child can be scary. Peter's Special Concoction is a wonderful way to help children deal with their feelings about having diabetes. It is written with compassion and love so that any child or parent reading it would have a better understanding of anyone at a young age who has to go through the process of diagnosis and acceptance. Educators could easily read this to their students to develop empathy. I especially like the jingle as I think all young people need something to help them cope with their fears. This is a book that I will put on my resource book shelf to help young people.

Peter's Special Concoction is not only a great, simple way to educate children to diabetes, but a great way to introduce parents and adults to it as well. Angela makes the story relatable for kids who read it on their own, and interesting for parents or adults who want to read to children. The fun activities at the end were also a nice touch.

When my younger son was a baby he was diagnosed with some fairly scary illnesses. Part of getting through those tough times was knowing there was a community of other families who were experiencing similar things. A book like this would have really been a great source of strength and wisdom as I tried to explain to my older son what was going on with his brother. Thank you for writing it!!

Warm and relatable, the story is a great educational tool for families learning to cope with this illness. As a professional, we know strong patient and family education can be one of our most powerful tools, and it’s exciting to see a book like this. A great read for any family looking for support or professional looking to better understand a family perspective.

This is a great book for everyone! Kids will love it and it's a great teaching tool for teachers and parents. I had the original version and now that the illustrations have been updated it makes it that much more captivating for kids. The author a tackles difficult subject like type 1 diabetes and makes it fun and not scary.