PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
A young girl chases her dreams and becomes a veterinarian in this imaginative and playfully illustrated STEM children's picture book with an empowering message. Readers will find this inventive story about animals with sore throats, stuffy noses, and allergies delightful. Rosie, an African American girl, loves watching her mom, a veterinarian, take care of all kinds of animals. She especially enjoys learning about the animals and helping them get better. When Rosie takes a rest from asking lots of questions, she finds herself in a dream where she meets an octopus, a crocodile, a giraffe, and several other animals each of whom has a common childhood affliction. One by one, Rosie uses her knowledge- based on real treatments used by veterinarians- to help each animal. Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals is creative and fun while also steeped in STEM education. The inspiration for the story was a picture of a real baby giraffe with a neck bandage who was successfully treated at a veterinary medical center. While the story of Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals is fictitious, it is based on and informed by real-life veterinarians. Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals is for children who love animals or who are interested in veterinary medicine. It is also well-suited for parents, teachers, caregivers, and librarians looking for books on representation, diversity, empathy, adventure, and STEM careers. Rozillia MH (also known as Mahdia Hunt), is a member of SCBWI, and the illustrator of Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals. In addition to her talent and passion for creating strong visual images, she is a writer and educator with a degree in linguistics She has traveled extensively and loves to learn about different cultures. She values the experiences and the perspectives she has gathered from all walks of life. Rozillia is currently pursuing a career in speech and language pathology. It is through this field that she hopes to continue learning how to help children of diverse backgrounds and how to better tell their stories through books and illustrations.
"""Based on real-world veterinarian approaches, but far more diverse in its embrace of powerful solutions and approaches to life, parents of children who want to impart the basics of appreciation for animals and self-empowerment alike will find Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals an inviting story."" ---D. DONOVAN, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review ""...This is a very special book that will contribute to stimulating bright minds and excitement in children particularly from underrepresented backgrounds to give them an example that they can achieve any career they wish to pursue even at a very young age..."" ---DR. RUBY PERRY (DVM, MS, Ph.D., DACVR), Dean, Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine ""The story is very sweet and entertaining, it encourages adults to take the time to answer children's questions so they could put their knowledge to good use, and it encourages kids to use the knowledge they have to help others and to trust adults to teach them the way."" ---FATIMA ALADDIN, Reedsy Discovery ""...Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals successfully relays several messages to its young audience - including empowering girls, building self-esteem and confidence, problem-solving, treating animals with empathy and respect, embracing curiosity, and using your imagination...Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals is a worthy addition to a STEM collection."" ---EVE PANZER, The Barefoot Librarian, Reader Views Kids ""Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals is the perfect picture book for young readers who love animals...With simple text and colorful, expressive illustrations, the story is accessible even to beginner readers...Rosie and her mom model empathy for the readers, who will see that diagnosis is about more than just expert knowledge - it's also about care..."" ---DR. JEN HARRISON, The Children's Book Review"
