A Friend Like Iggy

Written by Kathryn Cole

Photographs by Ian Richards

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-084-1

32 pp.

Ages 5-9

April 2019

For children, new experiences would seem to be the norm. Meeting new kids, the first day of school, doctors' visits and such can cause anxiety and fear but children often become acclimatized to such events. But there are some experiences which children should never have to face but do. Such would be the turmoil of dealing with abuse and all its psychological and legal ramifications. Thankfully there are facilitator dogs such as Iggy.

A friend who helps small people feel bigger and big worries feel smaller. (pg. 6)

From A Friend Like Iggy by Kathryn Cole, photographs by Ian Richards

From an initial visit to meet Iggy and his handler, Maggie, a child is able to be comforted by the big dog, a cross between a Labrador and Bernese Mountain Dog, while going through the arduous process of investigation, trauma assessment, therapy and court preparation. If the child is being questioned by police and doctors or receiving support from other relevant personnel, Iggy is there too.

Iggy always listened and let me know he was my friend–no matter what. (pg. 16)

From A Friend Like Iggy by Kathryn Cole, photographs by Ian Richards

But, most significantly, Iggy is there in court when the child has to face "the person I didn't want to see or talk in front of." (pg. 19) Iggy's comforting demeanour and proximity can make all the difference in enduring difficult circumstances. Even after the formal process of investigation is officially completed, the child can still connect with Iggy with a keepsake photo and following him on social media.

From A Friend Like Iggy by Kathryn Cole, photographs by Ian Richards

Iggy is an accredited facility dog working for the BARK Program of Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre. Both programs provide innovative and worthwhile support to children dealing with abuse investigations. In an integrated approach, Iggy and another dog, Jersey, in the Boost Accredited Reliable K9s (BARK) Program, provide invaluable support as detailed by Kathryn Cole's straightforward text in A Friend Like Iggy. She takes the perspective of a child–Boost services children ages 3 through 17–and does not discuss the abuse, only what the child experiences with Iggy. It's what children feel and know and is appropriately told in Comic Sans font. Ian Richards's uncomplicated but informative photographs document all aspects of a child's interactions with Iggy, placing emphasis on the relationship rather than the circumstances which brought them together. 

A Friend Like Iggy, like the dog himself, will reassure and support and should be in all school libraries, hospitals, police stations, and medical offices. It might prompt a child to reveal truths they have been reluctant to speak while reassure them that there is support once they have.

Check out the BARK program at Boost at https://boostforkids.org/for-families/intervention-programs/bark-program/

Never Give Up & Reptile Flu

Never Give Up: A story about self-esteem

Written by Kathryn Cole

Illustrated by Qin Leng

Second Story Press

978-1-927583-60-9

24 pp.

Ages 5-8

April 2015

Reptile Flu: A story about communication

Written by Kathryn Cole

Illustrated by Qin Leng

Second Story Press

978-1-927583-61-6

24 pp.

Ages 5-8

April 2015

This new  I’m a Great Little Kid series from Second Story Press will be a bonus to teachers or parents looking for a literature-based lesson for teaching positive life values such as communication and self-esteem, especially as there are addenda called “For Grown-ups” that explain the concept on which the book is focused and provide guidance to addressing each.  Each book is a wonderful package of story and lesson, lovingly illustrated by Canadian artist Qin Leng whose artwork graces picture books from the quirky A Flock of Shoes (Sarah Tsiang, Annick Press, 2010) to light-hearted but poignant Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin (Chieri Uegaki, Kids Can Press, 2014) and Norman, Speak! (Caroline Adderson, Groundwood Books, 2014).  Now Qin Leng’s light touch will be recognizable as the one that lends an innocent air to the I’m a Great Little Kid series.  Lucky Kathryn Cole and Second Story Press.

In Never Give Up, Nadia watches as her friend Shaun continues to try to ride his two-wheel bicycle.  Learning that Shaun is good at skipping, the very skill she is trying to master, and that he does not give up on his bike and its training wheels, even after a bunch of kids laugh at him, Nadia enlists her father’s help to get Shaun balanced and riding successfully.  Reciprocating, Shaun helps guide Nadia, and funnily enough her father too, to become a successful skipper, even enlisting the help of those children who’d laughed at Shaun before.

With the class studying reptiles in Reptile Flu, Ms. Cosby, their teacher, plans a trip to the museum.  Kamal, for whom “The very though of reptiles sent shivers down his spine”, is less than thrilled.  But, he can’t find the words to tell his teacher, or even his classmates when they display their reptile drawings to him.  Instead, he endures nightmares and has ineffective conversations with his teacher, parents, sister and peers in an attempt to share his fears, all to no avail, until the day of the trip.  Finally, Kamal finds his voice and Ms. Cosby finds a way for Kamal to feel OK about his fears and even enjoy the trip.

Kathryn Cole’s messages in Never Give Up and Reptile Flu are so positive and told in such familiar scenarios that all young readers will easily find themselves empathizing with the characters who try to develop new skills or face difficulties with communication.  And, even better, they will actually see themselves in the book, so incredibly inclusive in the families displayed and the skin, clothing, names, and body types of the children within.  There’s Lin, Kamal, Claire, Nadia, and Shaun.  There are children in leg braces, in head scarves, with glasses and not, thinner, heavier, white, brown, black, poorer, richer–everyone is there!  And they are all given voice to share their likes, their fears, their needs. There is no better way to learn a life lesson than by seeing yourself, sort of, within the safety of a book, where no one can laugh at you or see your mistakes or weaknesses.  If Never Give Up and Reptile Flu are an indication of the wisdom and significance of the I’m a Great Little Kid series¬–even the series name works to promote a positive message!–I think all youngCanLit readers and their parents and teachers should be anticipating more worthwhile titles to add to their libraries, personal and school.