I Create Purty Thangs: Guest book review - Please Explain Alzheimer's Disease to Me: A Children's Story and Parent Handbook About Dementia by Laurie Zelinger

Please Explain Alzheimer's Disease to Me introduces the condition to children in a colorful, sensitive and gentle story, followed by a parent/caregiver section that supplies comprehensive information that adults can use to understand and plan for the course of the disease affecting their loved one. Dr. Zelinger, a board-certified psychologist for children, presents the situation to children in a warm, developmentally appropriate way using appealing characters of diversity, child friendly language and familiar scenes they can relate to, as well as scripts that parents can use when speaking to their child. This book is more than a helpful guide-it's the only book you will need if you have a child who is asking, "What's wrong with grandpa?"

Children will:

- Enjoy the story and illustrations and will identify with the main characters

- Get answers to their questions

- Grasp the nature and reason for a grandparent's changes

- Learn basic biological information about brain function

- Understand why a grandparent will require more care

- Feel empowered and find ways they can be helpful

Parents and caregivers will:

- Have word-for-word scripts available to answer their child's questions

- Learn about the progression of the disease

- Understand their role and the nature of care that is required

- Gain information for decision-making in areas of medical, emotional and daily care

- Know they are not alone in this difficult journey

"Dr. Zelinger has provided an engaging book that presents important information in a user-friendly format and offers adults the foundation for easily engaging children in what may initially seem like a very difficult discussion. I will be sure to recommend this resource to everyone I know in the 'sandwich generation.'" -- Shane S. Bush, Ph.D., ABPP, Board Certified in Geropsychology, President, American Board of Geropsychology

"Dr. Zelinger's book helps take the mystery out of a truly mystifying disease. The children's story will help reduce the anxiety and fear a child may have when faced with one suffering from Alzheimer's, and the adult portion of this book gives practical examples to help guide the adult when questions arise. A truly informative and inspired book." -- Marilyn Cherney, occupational therapist; grandmother

"Dr. Zelinger takes a painful topic for both children and parents alike and turns it into a beautiful story and a detailed handbook that gives us the tools we need to broach a topic we all hope to never have to face. This book is a must-read for families facing the challenges that come along with a loved one experiencing Alzheimer's disease." -- Avi Satt, president, Allegria Senior Living "A very much-needed book to explain a difficult topic to our children and ourselves. Dr. Zelinger's warmth, insight and clinical judgment shine through her every page! This is a superlative book that will get front row billing on my office bookshelf." -- Deborah Lief-Dienstag MD, FAAP, pediatrician

From the Please Explain series at Loving Healing Press.

Available to buy from...

Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Barnes and Noble GPlay Paperback Hardcover

Enjoy these excerpts!

Guest book review by Devorah Bergman

This book was beautifully written and honestly made me cry at the powerful, yet simplistic story to use to teach children about Alzheimer's. This disease causes so much fear and anxiety in adults...and kids pick up on that. The way this book describes Alzheimer's will help children understand the pieces of the disease they need to understand in order to interact with adults diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It also allows for asking questions and making connections which will help children learn to embrace the disease in a loved one as part of their life.

I'm so impressed with everything I read from Dr. Zelinger and will definitely recommend this book to parents if students are struggling.

5 Stars

More books by the author

About the Author

Dr. Laurie Zelinger, Diplomate, is a Board Certified Psychologist with a specialty in School Psychology, and a Registered Play Therapist with forty years' experience. She is a licensed New York State psychologist who recently retired from a Long Island public school system and is now devoting her time exclusively to writing, consulting, and her busy private practice. Dr. Laurie's previous books include: "Please Explain Anxiety to Me: Simple Biology and Solutions for Children and Parents," The "O MY" in TonsillectOMY & AdenoidectOMY: How to Prepare Your Child for Surgery (in its second edition), A Smart Girl's Guide to Liking Herself Even on the Bad Days for American Girl, and a chapter on selective mutism in the compendium, School Based Play Therapy (second edition). She is also credited with being a consultant for the Bitty Baby book series by American Girl where she assisted in the development of the "For Parents" sections, as well as editorial development of another American Girl book. Dr. Laurie's interest in writing began in 4th grade, when a play she wrote was performed by students in her public school. Dr. Zelinger is a fellow and elected officer in the nationally based American Academy of School Psychology and spent four years on the Executive Board of the New York Association of Play Therapy. As a media referral specialist for the American Psychological Association, she has contributed to nearly 200 venues regarding child development. Dr. Laurie and her psychologist husband, Dr. Fred, are both certified Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteers. They have been happily married for over thirty-five years and have raised four children. You can learn more about Dr. Zelinger and her books at DrZelinger dot com.

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