Sophie’s Story: Writing for Young Diabetics

Having been a type 1 diabetic nearly my entire life, I was inspired to write a children’s book for diabetics age six and under. This age group is seeing the largest rise in type 1 diagnoses but most of the related education materials are focused on parents. My goal is to engage the children in their own diabetes care, help them identify tools they can use to manage their diabetes, as well as provide them a protagonist with whom they can relate. Here, you can see the cover to book I wrote and illustrated, called Sophie’s Low Blood Sugar, as well as the storyboards I drafted during the creation process. You will also see page three from the book, depicting the tools diabetics need on a regular basis. The last image is a photo of the printed books and accompanying surveys prior to distribution. On this page, you will also find two video time-lapses of me creating the illustrations for the book. This book is currently being distributed in pediatric endocrinologist’s office in Des Moines, Iowa, to diabetics under the age of six