Review of When Zacchy Got Sick

[Susan Ledezma]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "When Zacchy Got Sick" by Meera Randeria.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Has a young child in your family ever felt abandoned by their parents due to the need to care for a sick sibling? Have you ever needed to explain why a child's ill sibling needs so much care? Can a children's storybook help a child comprehend these experiences? If you answered yes to these questions, you should get the book When Zacchy Got Sick by Meera Randeria.

Meera Randeria wrote this book to read to her son, Adam. Adam felt abandoned when his parents stayed at the hospital to care for his comatose brother, Zacchy. Adam's aunt stayed with him until his father came home. When Zacchy regained consciousness, he still required intensive care at the hospital. Adam missed his mother because she had to stay with Zacchy, who would have been traumatized by her absence. Adam's mother and brother came home several weeks later. Because Zacchy needed to learn to walk and talk again, his parents devoted most of their time to him. Adam's fear of abandonment increased.

Eventually, things worked out for the best. Adam's parents realized that he also needed to be given some special time. Adam learned other ways to play with his brother. The family knew how to be happy again.

Randeria wrote a story about how the circumstances surrounding Zacchy's illness affected Adam. The main events were highlighted along with Adam's feelings regarding Zacchy's illness, his parents' moods, and the separation of the family. The book was well illustrated with colorful, cartoon-like pictures depicting significant events. These events included the ambulance rescuing Zacchy, Zacchy being hooked up to wires and tubes, Adam feeling alone at home, and Zacchy arriving home in a wheelchair.

The story successfully highlighted the emotions and feelings that any young child would experience during such a crisis. It illustrated the confusion and sadness caused by a life-threatening illness of a sibling, the sense of abandonment encountered when one's parents were focused on caring for the sick sibling, and the sadness that the parents felt regarding the illness of their child.

This book was well written and beautifully illustrated. It realistically portrayed the feelings and trauma experienced by the sibling of the sick child.

This book will help any child to cope with a similar situation.

There was nothing that I disliked about this book. The story was well edited and easy to read. The colorful illustrations provided clarity. Children will learn that their feelings are normal and that time heals. They will know that a family can overcome a crisis and adapt to a new situation.

I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

This book is appropriate for children aged 3 to 7 years.

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When Zacchy Got Sick
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This book could be extremely useful in a crisis situation. I think that a book like this can truly help a young child cope when handling a tragic situation like this. I will definitely keep this book in mind. Thank you for this informative review!

[Leia Temple]

This sounds like a heartwarming story, especially for kids who are learning about empathy and communication. I loved the way you described the resolution and that neither of the children felt neglected after Zacchy's ordeal. Thanks for the great review!

[Laney K]

This is a helpful book to teach young children who might have a sick sibling or relative. It could be a helpful teaching tool.

[RJ Reviews]

The description of this book made me teary eyed! I can't even imagine how much the parents suffered, how much saddened Adam must’ve been. It's always hard when one child fall sick and the other child feel abandoned. A great review, Garry. As always, it perfectly reflects the theme of the book.

[Elizabeth-Tush4Christ]

I once heard a child say, "I wish I was sick." I had to check my ears to make sure I heard correctly before asking the kid, "Do you know sickness is bad?" He said yes, so naturally, my next question was, "Why would you wish to be sick?" He replied, "Well, my mum is sick, and they won't let me see her. If I become sick, then I will be with sick people, and that way, I can see my mum."

I felt the child's pain and sincerity in his explanation. It almost made me believe that his wish was a good one after all, and maybe, just maybe, granting it wouldn't be a bad idea. This book brings to mind the pain and struggle faced by children whose parents have to be away due to sickness. I appreciate that the author conceived the notion to give us insight into how to handle such situations of perceived abandonment, especially ones that burden the parents as well. This is a great review, and it piqued my interest in the book.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

What a wonderful premise for a children's book. It vital children learn more than just the alphabet and number in their reading. Understanding abandonment issues, how to handle sick or new siblings isn't easy to explain, unless it's via a book like this. I hope this becomes a BOTD as it needs more promotion.

[Slippy Spectrum]

I reckon this book When Zacchy Got Sick by Meera Randeria sounds right powerful. From what I gather in the review, it tells the story of a youngin' named Adam who feels abandoned when his parents have to tend to his sick brother Zacchy. The book seems to do a good job of portraying the emotions a child would go through in such a situation. I reckon it's got colorful pictures and a well-written story. All in all, I'd give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars. Sounds like a mighty fine read for young'uns. Dynamic characters, each with their own compelling arc.

[Claudia Angelucci]

This sounds like a very valuable children's book. This is a situation a lot of kids find themselves in and can empathize with. And it was indeed a great review, Gerry. All the best!

[Cristiano Bellucci]

Thanks, Gerry, for your beautiful review. I am glad you explained deeply how the book develops. It may seem quite intense. It is nice to know that everything will work out well.

[David Awunor]

That's a wonderful review! The book discusses experience of having a sick sibling who receives more attention.

[Alice Heritage]

Thanks for this wonderfully written review. This was very touching, especially as my family went through a situation like this with a child in hospital for a long time. The abandoned sibling was above the age range this book is aimed at, but this will be an excellent resource for younger kids.

[Bassey Anthony Akpan]

Children need so much care and affection. Sometimes they feel abandoned just like adults, especially when they are not getting the attention they so desire. The case is no different in the book as Adam felt abandoned as his parents spent so much time in the hospital to care for his brother, Zacchy who is in coma. Adam felt more lonely even after Zacchy regained consciousness because the mother needed to stay by his side in the recovery process. The interesting thing about this book is that the parents later realized that Adam needed some special time and this made the family happy again. We can all learn from this book by doing our utmost to give special attention to our kids. Beautiful piece. Thanks for the review.

[Najwa Aulia 1]

This book has a beautiful moral message for those who are experiencing difficulties like the characters in the story, even though they have difficulties, they still face these obstacles together.
I rate this book 5/5 stars

[Martina Sette]

This children's book addresses such a sensitive topic, and that's great. Adams' feeling of abandonment is deeply conveyed. I'll definitely look out for it. Great review!

[ZCReviews]

Hi Gerry, great review! I've heard about similar situations to what the book is about. I think children like Adam are known as 'forgotten children'. It must be so painful for a child to go through something like that. Dealing with all the feelings of fear, guilt, and neglect must be really tough, so I'm glad there's a book like this out there to help families in these types of situations.