Why Me, Mama?
&
My Body Beeps!
​Growing Up With Diabetes

Why Me, Mama?

Everyone has something, sometimes you can see it & sometimes you can't.  ​Why me, Mama? is a children's book about the disability experience.

Rose the wee owl has a birthday coming up and they are planning her birthday party, but she doesn't feel excited. She feels different from her friends and is worried that the other animals won't want to come to her party. As they travel around the park delivering invitations, Rose discovers that all the other animals have something that makes them different, too.​

Why Me, Mama? is set in Boston's Public Garden. Various disabilities are individually highlighted in this book including facial paralysis/weakness, inability to abduct the eyes (Duane syndrome), club feet, cleft palate, mild, moderate and severe hypotonia, limb differences, strabismus, Autism, Pierre Robin sequence, Poland syndrome, developmental delay, as well as speech, hearing, vision, feeding and respiratory difficulty. These individual differences can all be found in Moebius syndrome. 

​This heartfelt celebration of disability is a much-needed reminder for kids and adults alike that disability isn't something to be ashamed of but rather a natural part of our life experiences.

My Body Beeps! Growing Up With Diabetes

Ready or not, here she comes! Dive into Katie's journey with diabetes as she tries to fit in during a game of Hide and Seek.  Inspired by a new friend, Katie takes steps toward caring for herself. But what will she pack into her new owl bag? 

My Body Beeps is a fun and simple way to present medical conditions to children. Katie has diabetes but doesn't want it to get in the way of her fun time at the park. She becomes frustrated when she starts to "beep," alerting her low blood sugar.  When she meets a new friend with asthma who stops to use her inhaler, Katie remembers that it's important to take care of her own needs, and she isn't alone!

Katherine Lockwood, Author 
​

​​​Katherine Lockwood is a disabled educator and therapist, who is also the parent of a child with disabilities. Katherine created Why Me, Mama? after her little one was born with rare Moebius syndrome. 

Katherine lives on Cape Cod with her husband Arden and their girls Rose and Magnolia. When not writing, you can find them swimming, boating, renovating a historic firehouse in VT and eating potluck dinners with friends.

​Why Me, Mama? is Katherine Lockwood's first book.

For more information about this project and to see the little ones who brought the story's animals to life:

                            Acorn Cottage Press

For speaking engagements, classroom visits, bulk orders
​and media, contact Katherine Lockwood:​

"According to the Cooperative Children's Book Center's 2019 study, only 3.4% of children's books have disabled​main characters. Compare this statistic with the CDC's finding that 26% of Americans have disabilities."


​"In addition to having a disability myself, my background is as a disability rights advocate, special education teacher, and school counselor. Growing up with Cystic Fibrosis - I had a disability that you couldn't see. Now having a little one with a visible disability, I know how important representation is and created this as a resource so that all children can see themselves in literature. My husband Arden and I, with our girls Rose and Magnolia live on Cape Cod, MA and are currently renovating an historic 1920 Firehouse in Londonderry VT."   Press release

In the story, each character has a difference that is briefly discussed, helping the baby owl to understand the different disabilities represented by the other animals, normalizing disability as a part of everyday life, providing a foundation for acceptance and empathy for others and within themselves. 

Reviews:

Much needed story:
"What a beautiful story to help young children embrace not only the differences of others but their own as well." - Amazon Review

Impactful message & applicable for all ages:
"This story is wonderful! I bought this for my 5th grade classroom (which is a sub-separate setting for students with moderate disabilities) and it has been a very impactful resource. One of my favorite things about this story is that it can be tiered to all age levels. For my middle school students we were able to focus on the theme of the story (i.e. accepting differences, our disability does not define our identity, friendship, kindness). The students loved that this book was based on REAL kids! They learned about an array of disabilities and were able to draw connections to the characters in the story. Also... the illustration is just so beautiful. I have read this story to my 5 month year old daughter and she loves staring at the whimsical images." - Amazon Review
​
Helpful in explaining all types of disabilities:
"So many children's books on disability focus on one type of disability (e.g. being in a wheelchair) and one character with a disability. This book is unique in its ability to show multiple types of disability, and present disability as common, which it is. The disabilities are presented as a normal part of the human experience, which is refreshing to see. The illustrations are beautiful and full of rich detail, giving parents and educators a lot to discuss with children as they are reading. The bonus at the end, that all of the conditions presented build to Moebius syndrome, brings awareness of a rare and minimally understood condition. It's amazing that a first-time author has been able to explain a complex topic so successfully." - Amazon Review​

Such an important book!
"Hats off to Katie for this true labor of love. A great addition to any classroom or library and a beautiful story of the power of diversity, difference, and inclusion. Not to mention the illustrations are beautiful! Looking forward to the other projects this author has in the works!" - Amazon Review
​

A perfect book to help teach young children about differences and inclusion:
"Why Me, Mama is a wonderful children's book that you will want to have for your child's library or school. It is beautifully illustrated and teaches through animal friends and young Rose the owl's upcoming party that everyone is different and special. An adorable story that teaches first lessons on inclusion. A must for all Day Cares, I believe." - Amazon Review
Picture
Acorn Cottage Press
Ella's Way, where kindness starts early.