Book Review: Allie the Allergic Elephant

One of the things our daughter most enjoys is reading. She just loves books.

Allie the Allergic Elephant is an engaging kids book, and it is a great addition to the bookshelf for any child, but especially those young children who have food allergies.

Our daughter was engaged from start to finish and was amazed that Allie wears a 'special bracelet' to tell people she's allergic'. She also enjoys finding the bracelet on Allie's leg as it repeats throughout the book. This has been particularly helpful in getting our daughter to wear her Medic Alert bracelet. Whenever we encounter resistance we simply remind our daughter that Allie wears her bracelet whenever she goes outside, and she should do the same.

The book is written well for kids, moves at the right pace and is quite educational. It provides examples of what happens to an elephant who is having an anaphylactic reaction. Allie also shows children how to say 'no thank you' when offered a peanut and gives examples of foods that are safe or unsafe. Though other books incorporate similar allergy concepts, Nicole Smith and Maggie Nichols have successfully translated these concepts into terms that a three year old can understand.

It is very hard for parents to comprehend food allergy and even harder for young children. Allie the Elephant is a staple in our regular reading rotation and I would encourage you to pick up a copy if you have a child with food allergies. Our daughter has latched onto Allie as a soul mate and I have already put in my order for a stuffed Allie (complete with Medic Alert bracelet) should one ever come onto the market.