Zak Has ADHD

by Jenny Leigh (Contributor)

Zak has ADHD is a reassuring story for 4 to 7 year-olds about Zak the Zebra. Poor Zak he's naughty, rude and unpopular, but all he really wants is to be like the other children. Doctor Spot finds that Zak has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. Soon Zak is winning gold stars for good behaviour and making a new friend! // Doctor Spot Case Books is a series of colourful stories designed to help children and understand and cope with common ailments and conditions. Each title also has special parents' pages at the back providing medically vetted information on recognizing and easing symptoms and seeking medical help.

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2013

Reviews

[Natalie]

There are many ways to educate about ADHD and the way this book does it is not one. The negative, heavy, put-down, shaming of the behaviours goes for over half the book and the ADHD character is confused and feels really bad (imagine how the kid feels reading it!!) plus it reinforces all the negative thinking adults have regarding ADHD behaviours before it gets to the point where it suggests to look for another reason for the behaviour. Adults don’t need to read books that support their assumptions and negative views of ADHD - they need to be challenging their automatic thoughts and this book does not do this at all. When it does get to explaining the behaviours, it is done in such a deficit way that it doesn’t help a negatively assuming adult see an ADHD child in any more of a positive light and it certainly is not empowering for an ADHD child to think they have anything valuable to contribute. If you want a book that looks at the behaviours and offers viewing in a more positive light, check out All Dogs Have ADHD - this is a book done right.

[Tina]

I found it good for me as an adult - however, I wouldn't let the child that picked this up from the library (my 5yr old son) read this, because he is liable in copying bad behaviour for its own sake and he has obsessions with doctors. Therefore for my son, it's not a good idea for him to read this until he is older. Henry will excuse himself for his bad behaviour because he will start to think, "oh I have ADHD I need medicine" as some 5yr old children will do. Because of this, I will assert that I think the book should have been aimed for children who are over the age of 7, not as young as it seems to have been written for.