Open Up Your Bag Open Access

The number of adults with diabetes globally is estimated to be 425 million, with more than 30 million in the United States alone. Even more frightening, there are currently more than 300,000 youths (<18 years of age) with diagnosed diabetes in the United States, and the incidence is skyrocketing. Moreover, individuals who are diagnosed as children or adolescents are at high risk of developing earlier microvascular complications.

Clearly, the epidemic of childhood diabetes must be addressed. One challenge is adequately educating new patients; although the learning curve for any newly diagnosed patient is steep, it is multiplied tenfold for children.

There are numerous books and websites designed to help adults manage their diabetes, but there are far fewer options (such as stories, cartoons, and multimedia publications or programs) aimed at children. Open Up Your Bag by Mike Lawson ventures to fill that gap.

This colorful picture book is designed to help children with diabetes develop and remember their care routines. Although it is designed for children with type 1 diabetes, it could be helpful for young people with type 2 diabetes as well. The artwork is friendly and features smiling animals that could reduce readers’ anxiety around diabetes. Lawson’s purposeful use of colors makes the characters pop off each page. The book presents the idea that life with diabetes can be joyful and positive.

The fun artwork is not all this reviewer liked. The catchy jingle of each page (“Check, check, check!”) will help children remember the steps of checking their blood glucose levels. Pairing the steps with the sounds on the page makes them easier to recall. The book is at a perfect comprehension level for very young children who may feel frustrated by more difficult language or a longer story. Lawson also includes multiple characters to drive his points home. Yet, the repetitiveness in the book is not boring; rather, the book’s changes in characters and scenery keeps readers interested while furthering its informative purpose. All of these qualities make the book a helpful resource that children with diabetes will want to read again and again.

A final positive element is the book’s inclusion of diversity. In one scene, we see a poster showing Spanish words in a character’s home, and a variety of ages and both sexes are represented throughout. These touches make the book more relatable to diverse readers.

This is a fun and informative picture book best suited for very young readers and their families. It is crucial that we help children develop skills in managing their diabetes as early as possible, and Lawson’s book can help do just that. Mike Lawson is a well-known diabetes advocate, and this reviewer is thrilled to see him connect with so many young readers and hopes his book is distributed far and wide.