This informative, engaging childrenās picture relates the experiences of 4-year-old Jaelyn who was born with Spina Bifida, a condition that affects the prenatal development of the spinal cord. Called āwarrior princessā by her mother, Jaelyn shares the challenges sheās faced and overcome in her short life: numerous doctorsā appointments, multiple surgeries, and difficulties learning to crawl, walk, and run.
Still, she maintains, āI am a regular kid just like you.ā She likes the color purple, loves to sing and read books, and enjoys building snowmen. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up. But she knows āI will have to work harder to do the same things as other kids my age.ā
In a lovely, subtle way, Warrior Princess affirms the reality that people who have special needs can aspire to and achieve career paths of their choice: the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery on Jaelynās spinal cord when she was an infant did so from a wheelchair because she has Spina Bifida, too.
Rebecca Symondsā dynamic, photo-like illustrations enliven Erin Ondersmaās enlightening narrative. This book is a valuable resource for teaching children that all people, no matter their challenges or needs, are loved and cherished by God, belong together, and have a role to play in the human family. (Black Rose Writing)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.