review
The book A kiss from the itchy beast is about Kate who has asthma. It is a clear story that makes asthma negotiable. At the back of the book are tips for parents and teachers on how to guide young asthma patients. The book is suitable for children from four / five years old. Stefan Boonen wrote the text, the illustrations were made by Pauline Oud.
Content article
- About the author, Stefan Boonen
- About the illustrator, Pauline Oud
- Details of the book
- The story A kiss from the ticklish animal
- The text and illustrations
- A fragment
- Extra information at the back of the book / leaflet
About the author, Stefan Boonen
Stefan Boonen was born in 1966 in Hamont, now he lives in Kessel-Lo. About six years ago, he quit his work as an educator in special youth care to start writing full-time. He writes children’s and youth books as well as scripts and theater.
About the illustrator, Pauline Oud
Pauline Oud was born in 1963, in 1985 she graduated from the Academy of Visual Arts in Utrecht. She then worked for a number of years as a visual artist and as a drawing and painting teacher. She has been working as an illustrator since 1994. For Clavis (publishing house) she writes and illustrates the series of toddler picture books about rabbit Fien and mouse Milo. Pauline does even more, she has illustrated a number of baby books for (expectant) mothers (such as Baby’s first year). Together with Betty Sluyzer she has made books about Tijn and about three hares.
Details of the book
- Title: A kiss from the creepy beast
- Text: Stefan Boonen
- Illustrations: Pauline Oud
- Publisher: Clavis and Delubas
- Published: 2005
- Genre: picture book
- Number of pages: 25
- ISBN: 90 448 0438 3
- Suitable for: children from four / five years old
The story A kiss from the ticklish animal
Kate, her twin brother Tibbe and her father go for a walk. During the walk they also have to go up a hill, but then Kate gets a sore throat and starts to cough. Tibbe sometimes thinks that Kate is faint, but that is not the case. She often coughs, is often tired and breathing is sometimes difficult. It then sounds like a mouse is in her throat and it feels like a ticklish animal lives in her chest. Father and Tibbe climb up the hill, Kate would rather wait downstairs. When they get back home, Kate lies down on the couch. Fortunately, they have an appointment with a doctor the next day, one who knows everything about coughing and ticklish animals.
Doctor Christine asks Kate all kinds of questions. Oh she sometimes squeaks when she’s been running or they have a cat at home. Then Kate is allowed to blow into a large machine, the doctor looks in her throat and ears and listens to the lungs with a stethoscope. Doctor Christine tells that Kate has a disease and that she therefore has the annoying complaints such as coughing and being tired. The ticklish beast has a name: asthma. Kate gets a puffer, the puffer contains medicines for the asthma. Every morning and evening she has to puff, otherwise the ticklish animal will come back. At school, Kate is allowed to tell the other children what asthma is, what is not fun and what is fun. For example, she likes that grandfather has to smoke his cigars outside from now on. Kate is doing very well now that she is using the puffer and during a walk she walks up the hill without any problems and can wave to her mother.
The text and illustrations
Text
Each drawing has text, about four to eight lines at a time, the text is on a white background outside the illustrations. I have to explain a few words to my toddler: stump, cough, stethoscope, and puffer.
Illustrations
On the front cover an image in which you see Kate sitting on a bench at the bottom of the hill, her father and brother can be seen climbing the hill in the distance. Kate has a hand on her chest, she does not look happy / stuffy. The title is mentioned in large letters (A kiss from the ticklish animal), next to it a small mouse. This mouse represents the ticklish animal, you can also see it in a few drawings. The illustrations in the book are very different in size, they cover three quarters of a page, but there are also drawings that cover one and a half pages side by side and you will find small illustrations. The illustrator has used fresh and bright colors, there is a lot to see in the drawings. If Kate is on the sofa, you can see the hills through the window where they just walked, on the windowsill you see a mouse walking. The examinations that Kate undergoes with the doctor are well described in the text, but they are also reflected in the pictures. This will help a child understand what to expect if they need to visit a doctor and be less frightening.
A fragment
Asthma.
The master writes the word on the board.
And I can tell you everything about it.
About the doctor and about the less pleasant things?
And that I will certainly not get a pussy from mom.
Because cats might make me cough again and all that.
I also tell about the nicer things ??
That grandpa has to smoke his cigars outside from now on.
Get rid of that stink smoke!
Extra information at the back of the book / leaflet
After the story to read, three pages follow with tips for parents and teachers.
The topics covered:
- Who the book is for
- That children with asthma are often ashamed of their illness
- What is Asthma
- How can an asthma attack develop
- What can you do if a child has an asthma attack
- The cause of asthma
- Heredity plays a role
- Is cure possible
- Can a child play sports
- Medication for asthma
- Asthma and school
- What can you do as a teacher if a child has asthma
- Useful websites with more information