Books with author Deborah Sims

Little Sad Face is a unique children's book that helps address a very unspoken and unexpressed topic that many children have faced. Any kind of abuse should not be tolerated but many children are backed into a corner of secrecy and silence even past their adult-hood. Little Sad Face attempts to let children and the victims of abuse know that its okay to speak out and find freedom from the abuse they have been faced with.

Before the age of 18, one in every four girls and one in every six boys will experience sexual abuse. Their peers, older siblings, relatives or friends will have violated them. It is destroying their spirit and soul. I am finding out that so many of our adolescent girls and young women carry secrets. Sometimes we may sense the pain, but we don’t know what to do or say to help them. It’s time for us to educate ourselves, so that we will be able to stop the abuse.

The manuscript is a book within a book. The initial story is partially autobiographical. It tells of an older sibling, Rose, consoling her younger sibling, Deboo, upon hearing that her classmate, Nicole, collapsed during class due to a diabetic reaction. Together they sit and read a book about diabetes. The book within defines Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes. Using vibrantly colored illustrations, it provides the reader with an explanation as to how diabetes affects the various organs and functions of the body. After reading the book, Little Deboo shares what she has learned with her father as they eat dinner. "Little Deboo and Her Big Sister Rose: Learning About Diabetes" has been researched and reviewed by experts in the field of diabetes and health, education and communications. An abstract of this publication was presented at the 2009 CDC Diabetes Transitions Conference in April at Long Beach, CA. The book is presented at a 6th grade readability level.