What happens when a couple of kids and their mother, who has early-onset dementia, welcome some backyard chickens into their lives? This beautifully illustrated book tells an important, much-needed story about disability and acceptance as Mama loves and cares for her chickens - just as she does her children - despite the challenges she faces.
“it may bring desperately needed peace, understanding, and comfort to the heart of a child.”
“A masterful book about an important topic..”
“Mama’s Chickens is a special story..”
“It’s a story full of love, compassion, and understanding.”
“The book is chook full (see what I did there?) of sweet metaphors, showing the children and chickens feeling interchanging, which I love because illness of any kind is often a whole family experience, children and pets included. It is so important to acknowledge that and this wonderful story/book does this beautifully.”
“his gentle story from EK Books, a publishing house that promotes ‘books with heart on issues that matter’ will inform readers about forms of dementia that afflict some families. In this story the chickens are a source of keeping alive memories for the woman and a bridge between her and her children, a common activity that they can share.”
“tackles the issue of early on-set dementia in a way that is easy for children to learn about and explore. The book can help adults to show children what might happen when a family member they know might be diagnosed with this condition and how despite what may happen, their love for their family member and that person’s love for them will never be forgotten.”
“This beautifully told story by Michelle Worthington, draws on her own experience of progressive nonfluent aphasia and tackles an important subject in ways that children can relate to.”
“A story of acceptance of disability in the sure knowledge that even when a loved one can’t always respond in the way we expect or are used to, we know they still love us and we love them.”
“Speaking is only one form communicating, there are so many other ways you can express love. That is the message I wanted to get across in Mama’s Chickens
“the one thing that permeates both the book and the reality, is that undying, unconditional love between parent and child that can never be underestimated …- and if that is the only message a young reader takes from this, then job done and done well, Michelle Worthington.”
“This tale might have wept with candied sentimentality but thanks to Worthington’s considered, unadorned narrative and Johnston’s unobtrusive, gentle water-coloured renditions of this family’s home and backyard, the story chimes with honesty and hope.”
“The book has initiated open and honest communication with my daughter (who is 7 years old), where we have spoken about dementia not only affecting the elderly and what symptoms such as memory loss, confusion and acting unlike themselves looks like.”
This beautiful picture book by award-winning Australian author, Michelle Worthington, uses the writer’s own experience of early onset dementia to explore the topic in a child friendly way."
“ Ms Worthington is releasing a new book, Mama’s Chickens, which she hopes will raise awareness and help children understand what dementia can look like when their carer suffers from it”
“The warm tones in the overall design and artwork for Mama’s Chickens keep the mood of the book joyful and that is the overall message that children can take away—Mama’s love is constant no matter what challenges the family experiences.”
“Michelle Worthington has written over a dozen books for children. With Mama’s Chickens, her writing expertise, as well as her personal experience with dementia, is evident in the spare text and storytelling format. The result is a beautiful and sensitive portrayal of a potentially heavy subject, which will allow readers from two through six articulate and understand their own feelings.”
“Drawing on the author’s lived experience it explores a family’s experience of early-onset dementia from the child’s point of view. The care of the family’s chickens is a well-crafted metaphor for Mama’s changing but enduring relationship with her children. The use of the chickens in this way is relatable and age-appropriate for younger children and adds playfulness to a heavy topic.”
A sensitive, beautifully illustrated book that uses backyard chickens to give a closely observed child’s-eye view of early-onset dementia.
Mama didn’t want chickens, but she grows to love them as her dementia symptoms increase. Her young children see that she doesn’t always act like her old self anymore; this upsets both them and the chickens, but Mama always finds ways to show them just how much they are wanted and loved.
Children will relate to the endearing personalities of the chickens, while the award winning author draws on her own experience to create an entirely age-appropriate story about the impact of early-onset dementia. The result is a supportive, much-needed book about a reality that many families face.
Dementia doesn’t only affect the elderly. Like the parent in the story, people with early-onset dementia may have memory loss, difficulty thinking, trouble recognising people or confusion, or begin acting unlike themselves. Michelle Worthington has had personal experience of all of these symptoms since her diagnosis with Progressive Nonfluent Aphasia (a form of dementia), and hopes her book will help children understand what dementia can look like when their care-giver suffers from it.
Her wish is that the book will initiate open and honest communication and help parents all around the world recognise the symptoms while providing love and support for their children.
- | Author: Michelle Worthington, Nicky Johnston
- | Publisher: Exisle Publishing
- | Publication Date: Mar 08, 2023
- | Number of Pages:
- | Language:
- | Binding: Paperback / softback
- | ISBN-13: 9781922539458
- | ISBN-10: 1922539457
