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by Tori Corn & Nancy Cote, illustrator
Sky Pony Press 4/01/2014
978-1-62087-991-7
Age 4 to 8 32 pages
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“It’s Dixie’s first day of school, and some of her classmates are sharing about their allergies. Bridget tells of her wheat allergy and how she gets to order a special meal from restaurants, Dixie thinks that must be a really special meal! And Charlie had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance once due to his dairy allergy. Dixie thinks that must have been thrilling! Dixie races home and begins to eagerly search for the slightest sign of an allergy. After many failed attempts, Dixie discovers she is allergic to something after all. But is getting what you wish for actually as exciting as it once appeared?”
Opening
“On the first day of school, Dixie got to know her classmates. Some of them said they had allergies.”
Review
Have you ever wanted something so much you would do almost anything to get that thing? Dixie feels that way about having an allergy. Her kindergarten classmates talk about special bracelets, special restaurants meals, special school snacks, and even special rides in an ambulance, all because they have an allergy. This all sounds grand to Dixie. She goes home and begins searching for her allergy.
Dixie crawls under her bed and sniffs week-old, rank socks and dust bunnies. Nothing happens. She sniffs fresh flowers and waits. Nothing happens. She eats handfuls of pistachios and waits. It works! She gets a stomachache. Mom says she just ate too many pistachios. Oh.
Are you laughing yet? Dixie is a cute little girl. Of her six new friends, three get special treatment because of an allergy. I doubt Dixie understood an allergy is like being sick, and it is definitely not fun. None of her new friends were complaining about their allergy or saying it was a bad thing to have. Maybe Dixie should have asks some questions as she admired the allergy bracelet.
I do love her ingenuity when giving herself spots. Dixie must have a little understanding about allergies. Of course, those red spots do not itch or raise up into a welt. The illustrations use backgrounds of blue and yellow. Even the sky is yellow to represent a hot day. If Dixie had noticed the pinpoint eyes on her classmates, she would have noticed the allergy kids—except for special restaurant meals kid—were not happy when telling of their allergy.
Kids will enjoy Dixie Wants an Allergy, but it is best suited to kids with siblings or friends that already have an allergy, as a way of explaining the disease. According to the World Health Organization, nearly half of all school-age children have an allergy. To help explain the “special treatment” of some students, teachers of young children can read the kids Dixie Wants an Allergy.
I really love the illustration of Dixie marking herself with a red marker, hoping a fake allergy would be as much fun as a real allergy. I don’t have that spread to show you, but when you do see it, it will give you a belly-ache-laugh, especially if you have kids. The author doesn’t leave the story just yet. Dixie goes to school and tells her new friends about her allergy. Then comes a twist. A new thing to be jealous of and wanting for yourself. It’s always something, right? Here is a hint: it involves a photograph.
I like Dixie Wants an Allergy. The story will hold children’s attention, it will make them laugh, they might learn to be careful of what they wish for (as they might just get it), and the twist will start up a new topic of discussion—laughs and smiles included.
Buy Dixie Wants an Allergy at Amazon
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Learn more about Dixie Wants an Allergy HERE.
Meet the author, Tori Corn, at her website: [http://toricorn.com/
Meet the illustrator, Nancy Cote, at her website: http://nancycote.com/
Find more books at the Sky Pony Press website: http://www.skyponypress.com/
Sky Pony Press is an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
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Also by Tori Corn
What Will It Be, Penelope?
coming soon in 2014
Also by Nancy Cote
Watch the Cookie!
Ella & the All-Stars
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Kids Lit Review 
I’ve actually seen this a lot in kids who see that allergies equal attention for their friends and siblings. This looks like a good book to address that and give a dose of reality in a fun way! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday! Always love having you there!
Tina
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I don’t recall ever reading a picture book concerning allergies before. This story looks like a cute way to approach the subject. Great review, Sue!
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Really? The first? I did not know a story about allergies was so unique. Interesting. Well, I hoe this book goes far. The author sure did a good job choosing a subject with little competition. Thanks for pointing this out. 🙂
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I read this book and am able to understand why a child would think having an ailment would make them feel like part of the gang, but in reality, no ailment is fun or good, as far as I’m concerned! I have allergies and chemical sensitivities and a lovely list of other stuff—totally not fun, but the book was well-executed 🙂
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So sorry you are chemically sensitive. Considering most everything is made with chemicals, including most foods, it must be hard to figure out stuff. I am trying to go non-GMO and having trouble finding stuff in my rinky-dink little town. I’m glad you aren’t allergic to paper (is that possible) or illustration stuff. 😀
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Actually, yes, I’m allergic to certain papers—the chemicals used to make them. Can’t handle newspapers at all, and it’s not just the inks (I have to offgas many books before I can read them) —it can be the paper itself. The “cleaner” and “safer” choices are always the best. Lessen the burden whenever you can 🙂
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What is “offgas?” I’ve never heard of this. It sounds, well, gaseous.
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LOL…sorry, it’s such a common term in my life, I don’t stop to think not everyone has heard it. Yes, it is “gaseous” in its own way. “Offgassing” is the emission/evaporation/release typically of chemicals from an object. Since we’re talking about books or printed material, you know the smell (which I used to love due to what it represents) of a new picture book? Not all have a strong smell, and the smells can be different. It’s dependent on the inks used and the finish on the paper, etc. The inks, when “fresh” or kept closed or sealed often have strong odors. If left open, (things like sun, heat or baking soda paste hastens the process), their smells will dissipate. The dissipation and release of the smells into the air (typically from chemicals) is called “offgassing.” This is true of all kinds of things, like paint for walls, new carpeting, shellacked floors, furniture (especially made of particle board–largely glue), fragrance (though a lot of fragrance doesn’t finish offgassing—it lasts FOREVER!!!! ugh), you can think of many things. When someone is chemically sensitive like I am, you get a reaction from many/all of these things. If items aren’t sufficiently offgassed, then make a chemically person ill in some way. I became sensitive. Never was when I was young.
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If you became sensitive, can’t you unbecome sensitive? Sorry, that was rather insensitive. 🙂 It sounds horrible. Now I’ll never smell picture books the amw way again. But you are right. I have noticed each publisher has a different smelling PB. The strongest odors came from indies, which are almost always printed in China, of course. If I can figure out how, I will offgas all of my reviews. I hate to think of my reviews making you feel ill. So, off gas it will be. 😀
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Sue, thank goodness your reviews don’t make me ill–well, not in the same way actual books can! lol 😉
Truth be told, though, over-exposure to the EMFs of my computer do affect me, too, though if it were larger or brand new it would be more of an issue. I do what I can as much as I can—and often times much longer than is good for me!
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When I was a toddler (as in, I can’t remember, but it did happen 😉 ), I [apparently] was allergic to “everything” (dairy, soy, etc.). Now I’m not. (but I still drink Rice milk, and don’t prefer cow’s milk.).
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I would have loved to see you as a toddler. You probably carried a bookbag around filled with those plastic books that float in water–or rice milk. But, you don’t remember that. 😉
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This is actually a good thing, Erik, that you drink rice instead of cow’s milk.
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Except the fact that rice milk has huge amounts of arsenic in it, just not enough to be poisonous. 😛
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Oh, my! I probably knew that, and like most things—forgot! I’m guessing you’ve tried almond milk? Don’t remember what there might be about that!
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I’ve tried it (I think), but it was probably when I hated almonds. 😉 I am fine drinking rice milk – I can say to people that I’ve probably built an extremely small immunity to arsenic (not that I want to prove it)! 😛
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Erik, this immunity could prove VERY valuable in your Supervillain pursuits! 😀
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Ha what a cute book. Though yea allergies aren’t really all that fun.
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No allergies are not that special, but this book does a good job explaining them — at least on the little kid level. Not bad for a debut book!
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As a fellow who had more childhood allergies than he could count, Dixie, bless her, is delightfully nutty. Love it!
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So sorry you were — are? — so allergy-prone. Did you — do you — get the special snacks, bracelet, and ride? 🙂
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I outgrew all of my childhood allergies. But I’ll take the special ride if you’re offering! I have a very long commute and it’s about time someone else took the wheel.
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I do love to drive. Do you have a sports car perchance? 🙂
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Chuckled throughout your review. I remember being jealous of kids wearing glasses and wanting to wear them as a child. I think adults will have as much fun with this book as kids. Great way to address allergies. Will have to get a copy.
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I love picture books probably more now than as a kid. Glad you chuckled at the review . . . wait, that is a good thing, right? 😀
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What a fun book to take down the stigma of allergies, and help little kids understand. Also, be careful what you wish for is a good lesson!
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You hit a of the high points. I hope this helps children understand all you wrote. 🙂
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