Product Description

Imagine being a kid and not being able to eat cookies, pizza, or spaghetti like your friends. Many kids have to avoid these foods because they contain gluten, a protein in wheat and other grains that is toxic. This is especially true for kids with celiac disease, a particular form of gluten intolerance. Noted expert, Nancy Falini, MA, RD, LDN, draws upon her vast experience in counseling gluten-free patients to create a delightful activity/coloring book that helps parents and caretakers educate children ages 4-11 about what it means to live on a gluten-free diet. Delightful illustrations help communicate basic concepts....such as how gluten damages a child's small intestine in simple, easy-to-understand terms....that clarify the idea without confusing the child. After each chapter, multi-sensory learning activities assist parents and caretakers in guiding the child through the book. For example, one activity asks kids to draw the path of food as it goes through their bodies. Clever, happy-face stickers are provided for kids to label their own gluten-free food. Kids want to fit in and Falini knows that a special diet often sets kids apart from their peers at a time when they desperately want to be a part of the gang. That's why parents and caretakers love the easy-to-follow instructions that help kids explore their thoughts and feelings along the way. A portion of the profits from this book are donated to research on celiac disease.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #419499 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Review
A "must-have" for your home library and a great interactive tool for understanding and living the gluten-free lifestyle. -- Peggy Wagener, Publisher, Living Without magazine, August 1, 2003

Gluten-Free Friends is an outstanding activity book that allows kids to enjoy fun, creative activities while learning about celiac disease. -- Danna Korn, founder, R.O.C.K. (Raising our Celiac Kids), August 1, 2003

Gluten-Free Friends is the activity book children with gluten intolerances and their parents have been waiting for. -- Cynthia Kupper, RD, CD, Executive Director, Gluten Intolerance Group, August 1, 2003

Nancy Falini's book will faciliate education of the main player in the disease----the child. -- Peter Green, MD, Director, Celiac Disease Center, Columbia University, August 1, 2003

Nancy Falini’s book will facilitate education of the main player in the disease––the child. -- Peter Green, M.D., Director, Celiac Disease Center, Columbia University, August 1, 2003

The definitive book to help young children adapt to a gluten-free lifetsyle. -- MIchelle Pietzak, MD, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, August 1, 2003

From the Publisher
As a publisher of specialized books for the gluten-free community, I'm delighted to publish Nancy Falin's book, Gluten-Free Friends. The book was originally Falini's masters thesis, and she used concepts from the book very successfully with her patients for years before it was finally published in 2003 by my company, Savory Palate Press. The book is timely given recent research that 2.2 million Americans have celiac disease....more than those with Parkinson's...or multiple sclerosis...or Crohn's. A portion of the profits from this book are donated to research on celiac disease.

From the Author
"I wrote Gluten-Free Friends: An Activity Book for Kids for the 4-11 age group to help them learn how to make the right food choices on a gluten-free diet," says Nancy Falini, MA, RD, LDN. "If they make the right food choices, they can be healthy and take part in their favorite activities....just like other kids, she adds. Falini's book features Megan and Ben, two friendly gluten-free kids who:

1.Explain what gluten is in simple, easy-to-understand words

2.Describe how gluten makes celiac kids get sick

3.Decide which foods to avoid on a gluten-free diet

4.Demonstrate how to make the right food choices to be healthy My goal is to help children make the right food choices independently when their parents aren't there to guide them such as at school, parties, or a friend's house, says Falini. A portion of the profits from this book are donated to researcn on celiac disease.

Customer Reviews

Gluten-Free Friends - Fantastic!
This activity book has been wonderful in helping my son learn more about celiac disease. At 5, he enjoyed learning what happens 'on the inside' when he eats gluten. At almost 8, he likes to help choose his own foods, and we use the book as an educational tool for teaching about safe, and healthy foods. Nancy Falini has done an excellent job tailoring the book for different age groups. It is a great resource book for the kids!!

Andrea Levario

Great for Children with Celiac Disease!
This has really helped my daughter ( age 5 ) understand Celiac. I wish we had this when she was diagnosed two years ago. This has been a great study on what foods to eat, and how her body reacts to both gluten, and gluten free foods. Some of this is more advanced, but it's a great study to use over and over again. This is a must have book!!!

Gluten Free Friends : A Must Have for Children!
Gluten Free Friends: An Activity Book for Kids is an extremely well written book. It is an advanced coloring book and works well for varied levels of learning.
The coloring pages are very well illustrated and resemble real life pictures, which young children love.
This book also includes differentiated teaching lessons and activities for the older child and provides a guide for parents and care givers to learn from and help guide the child/children with. The activities are practical and really get to the heart of the matter: children need to feel empowered and in control and through reading the book and doing the activities, children gain control over celiac disease. A positive way to learn for both child and parent or care giver. A definite book for your library, especially after it has been covered front to back. My family refers to it a lot!