What a wonderful book that was so heartwarming. The mom in the story shows such love as we begin with preparing Moby for his trip by getting him used to the calendar to mark off when the trip is happening. Mom reads a story about plane rides to help ease Moby into what is going to happen. They do all kinds of amazing things to help prepare. Moby learns all about the Mall of America and he is excited to see it. We finally get to see the journey Moby goes on with the help of a color schedule and a choice board that he can choose an activity to do on the plane to pass the time. The family gets to the Mall of America and Moby gets to go on a ride. He has some trouble sleeping that night but mom calms him down with pictures of home. They get to go to a park where Moby asks lots of questions because he craves knowledge. This is just a wonderful story and a very good choice for teachers, I think, to read to children to help kids understand people with autism better. This story gives real situations that occur with people with autism.
Adults have anxiety about traveling, so it's not a far leap to think children would suffer from the same issue.
In Around The World with Moby- My First Trip! by Muzna Kazim, we meet Moby, an 8-year-old with autism who fears traveling. Moby's Mama tries to soothe his fears. She tells him the trip to Minneapolis is only temporary. She gives him a calendar so he can prepare for the upcoming event. She read him stories about plane rides. They watch videos together. His Mama's thoughtful and helpful ideas ease Moby's fear and anxiety. When they reach the airport, Mama has more tricks to help her autistic child through this sensory-overloading adventure. Now, Moby's Mama wasn't the only one helping Moby feel calm during the adventure. His Dad was there, discussing the mechanics of the plane, which kept Moby's mind at peace. What a blessed family!
The excursion was not smooth sailing. Bumps in the road will occur whether a child is on the autism spectrum or not. However, suppose they are, Around The World with Moby- My First Trip! gives parents valuable tools to help their child prepare for a trip, helps a child handle new experiences and challenges, and even shows families all the fun you can have in Minneapolis. There are even pages dedicated to when they came home. The 'after the trip" events were just as important as the 'let's prepare for the trip' sections. You don't have to have an autistic child to benefit from any idea in the book. All children feel stress over new situations!
Around The World with Moby- My First Trip! by Muzna Kazim is a remarkable book. The illustrations by Rabindra Nath Barman were big, bold, and colorful and elevated an already fantastic story.
I recommend that families and schools add this book to their library.
REVIEWED BY
Kameron Brook
“A lovely, inspiring story about a young boy expanding his horizons and learning to enjoy travel and exploration. This is an uplifting and heartwarming book.”
