Portsmouth mum hopes to publish book series to educate children about different disabilities
A MUM is on a mission to educate children about different disabilities with her new book series.
Adelle Spindlove has launched a fundraiser to get her book series, The Supersiblings Gang, published to help youngsters understand more about disabilities.
The 38-year-old marketing manager is mum to Theo, 17 months, and Rowan, four, who has a rare neuro-developmental syndrome called ADNP which affects brain formation and development.
Adelle said: ‘The idea started about a year and a half ago. The series follows a gang who all have siblings with disabilities and they go round helping other children to learn about what to do and what not to do, like adapting games in the playground so they can be involved and asking before pushing someone’s wheelchair.
‘The first book is called Freddie and the High Flying Kick and Freddie loves to play football but often gets excluded on the playground because he has a frame so the other children don’t know how to include him.
‘His brother Frankie helps the others to understand how they can and how they can ask for help for appropriate ways to include their disabled friends.’
Adelle hopes the books can be used in schools.
She said: ‘I think the relationship between siblings where one is disabled is so unique. Even at 17 months, Theo will crawl to get Rowan a toy if he is upset and overwhelmed.
‘We haven’t had any big issues with Rowan but we have had children staring and parents pulling them away. I want children to come and ask questions and learn more rather than being pulled away and ignoring it.
‘At school is the perfect time to teach them about diversity and inclusion.’
Adelle is trying to fundraise £4,000 to get the eight books published, which have been illustrated by Claire Bicknell.
She added: ‘We had a publisher contract but decided against it as we wanted more creative control but it gave us the confidence that we could publish and they would sell.
‘The money from the first book will go into making the next one and I hope including the tips and lessons in a narrative story means children will want to read it more than once and that it will sink in and help them understand better.’