Categories: Allergies, Healthy Eating & Exercise

My Circus Adventure (egg free)

An appealing and positive book which teaches children about food allergies, and provides children who have an allergy with strategies to keep them safe and well.

Author: Hailey Phillips
Illustrator: Ivana Zorn
Publisher: Allergy Adventures

Minoo and his magical lunchbox go on a egg-free adventure to the circus. He meets plenty of friends on his journey, including a friendly onion ringmaster carrying a watermelon ‘yumbrella’, a fruit-juggling leek clown, a brave rocket man with a pea helmet and a tightrope walker made of spaghetti. Minoo takes care to check whether or not it is safe to eat the foods he encounters, and the messages to ‘always check the label first’ and ‘tell people about your allergy’ are emphasised.

Things we liked: The book is delightfully illustrated; Ivana Zorn's quirky characters are drawn skilfully using interesting angles and varying perspectives and they really add to the adventure and excitement of the story.

Worth noting: The book focusses on the fun that can be had with food rather than the feeling of 'missing out'. It also encourages all children to feel positive about food and healthy eating, regardless of whether they have an allergy or not.

Review by: Claire Ward-Dutton