"Based on the BAFTA winning animations"--Cover

A first-person testimony of Naomi, a 10-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Naomi bravely explains what it was like to find out she had cancer, when she lost all her hair and what it was like spending so much time in hospital. The intimate and direct impact of using Naomi's real first-person testimony encourages us to empathize with her situation, and to understand how some children's lives are very different from their own. Naomi introduces herself to the reader on the first page and tells us that she lives with her brother, mum, dad and cat, but the only family member involved in the story is her father, so this book may appeal particularly to children who don't live in a two-parent household or who are particularly close to their father. This book distinguishes itself from similar titles not only by its original illustrations (based on BAFTA winning animations) but also by its directness. For example, Naomi describes being told about her illness: "My dad didn't say 'Prepare yourself. He didn't make it smaller than it was. He just said, 'You've got CANCER.'" It does, however, skip over the bone marrow transplant: the reader will only learn that Naomi had this procedure if they read the Further Information About Leukaemia page at the back of the book. The book concludes on a positive note, with Naomi's cancer being gone six months after her discharge from hospital. Colour picturebook with short text.
Target Audience: Child 8 -10 years