By Shaila Abdullah
Think about how easy it is for most people to do certain things. You choose to stand, and you do. Or you decide to reach for a glass of water, and your hand obeys instantly. For many children who have cerebral palsy, these simple actions aren’t that easy.
I am happy to introduce you to my latest children’s book, My Friend Suhana, coauthored with my 10-year old daughter Aanyah Abdullah. It is a story about a little girl who forms a close bond with a girl who has cerebral palsy. The little girl finds that through her art, she can reach her nonverbal friend Suhana.
My daughter, Aanyah is the muse behind this project. Back in 2011, when she was in second grade, she wrote an essay in class about her friendship with a non-communicative girl with cerebral palsy. She met the girl while volunteering at a local community center where we helped assist special needs children. The essay touched me deeply, as did the friendship between the two girls. Art played a major role in strengthening their bond.
Hailed as “Highly recommended for anyone in the position of mentoring a beloved child through the hard places of life” by critics, My Friend Suhana celebrates special friendships and ways of reaching children with disabilities. Dawn Cruzan, president of Camp Craig Allen for all abilities lauded My Friend Suhana for its message of respect, friendship, and support. “As a leader in advocating for the ‘most overlooked’ disabilities, which sometimes include nonverbal communication, this was outstanding in providing these differences,” she said.
My hope is that by reading this book, children would feel equipped to connect and bond with children with disabilities. Encourage your kids to reach out to children with disability and get creative with their games and conversations. Your child might be rewarded with a twinkle of an eye or a happy movement signaling joy. Not all friendships need words to be perfect. Some are connections of the heart!
My Friend Suhana is targeted for children ages 6-8 years.
The Book
Category: Juvenile Fiction: Social Issues - Special Needs
Audience: Ages 6-8
myfriendsuhana.com
About My Friend Suhana:
A simple tale of love and friendship to warm your heart. Award-winning author and designer Shaila Abdullah teams up with her 10-year-old daughter Aanyah to bring you this heartwarming tale of a little girl who forms a close bond with a child with cerebral palsy.Source: Info in the About My Friend Suhana was from the press kit from the publicity team.
Buy Link(s):
Excerpt:
My friend Suhana is like no other girl I know.
She does not answer when I call her. She does not play tag or hopscotch with me, and she does not ride a bike. We have never had a play date.
But for one hour each week I get a chance to rock her in my arms and imagine that she is my special friend!
Suhana and I see each other at the community center where Mom and I help out at a special needs class. Suhana has cerebral palsy, which makes it tough for her to move and learn like other children.
And although she cannot stand, walk, talk, or play, I love her all the same!
She does not answer when I call her. She does not play tag or hopscotch with me, and she does not ride a bike. We have never had a play date.
But for one hour each week I get a chance to rock her in my arms and imagine that she is my special friend!
Suhana and I see each other at the community center where Mom and I help out at a special needs class. Suhana has cerebral palsy, which makes it tough for her to move and learn like other children.
And although she cannot stand, walk, talk, or play, I love her all the same!
Meet The Authors
Shaila Abdullah is an author and designer based in Austin, Texas. She is the author of two books: Saffron Dreams and Beyond the Cayenne Wall. The author has received several awards for her work including the Golden Quill Award, Norumbega Jury Prize for Outstanding Fiction, Patras Bukhari Award for English Language, Reader Views Award, Written Art Award, and a grant from Hobson Foundation. Several academic institutions have adopted her books as course study or recommended reading, including the University of California, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Indiana University, Boston University, California State University, and George Washington University.
Aanyah Abdullah is a creative and compassionate 10-year-old, who is drawn to children born with physical and mental disabilities. When she was in second grade, Aanyah along with her mother Shaila, started volunteering out at a local community center where they helped assist special needs children. Later Aanyah wrote an essay about her friendship with a girl in the class who had cerebral palsy. That essay is the inspiration behind My Friend Suhana. Aanyah dreams of establishing a special school for children with disabilities one day.
Aanyah: goodreads
My Friend Suhana Blog Tour Schedule (2014)
March 4
Mother Daughter Book Reviews (Launch & Review)
Identity Discovery (Review & Giveaway)
Cherry Mischievous (Guest Post)
March 5Nik's Picks Book Reviews (Review)
Victoria Simcox (Book Spotlight)
March 6 March 7Heart of a Philanthropist (Review)
March 8Books Direct (Review & Author Interview)
March 9When I Grow Up I Wanna Write a Kids Book (Review)
For the Love of Books (Review)
March 10When Did I Become My Mom (Review)
March 11WS Momma Reader's Nook (Review)
Coffee & Books & Art (Guest Post & Review)
Giveaway
* $25 Blog Tour Giveaway *
Contest ends: April 2, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Shaila Abdullah & Loving Healing Press and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
