Little Mole is a Whirlwind

When Little Mole wakes up, he bounds, he bounces and he bellows! Will he sit down long enough to get through his school work? Most children are a bundle of energy, but some have more than others and this enchanting picture book helps youngsters to understand that being hyperactive doesn't always produce 'negative' results. Anna Llenas, a talented author, illustrator and paper engineer, sets her own busy mind to this decidedly positive and uplifting story about a little mole who gets a helping hand to keep his mind - and his energy - on track. Little Mole can't stand still. He messes about, he gets distracted, he loses things and he breaks things... in fact, he never stops from the moment he wakes up! People say that he is rude, impatient, restless, useless, naughty, tiring and hyperactive. His parents are worried, his teacher is desperate and with his end-of-term school project coming up, it looks like Little Mole is going to need some help. So who better than Serena, the forest bunny who offers 'creative learning for wonderful children'? And can she keep busy, buzzing Little Mole on track? Llenas' distinctive and visually exciting collage-effect illustrations provide a simple, fun but highly effective and accessible exploration of what it means to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). With its important messages about tolerance, understanding and getting the right help, this is both an enchanting story and a valuable teaching tool. * Lancashire Evening Post *

Our first Picture Book of the Week perfectly addresses something that we scarcely see dealt with so well in children's books...
This beautifully handled and sensitively written book is "Little Mole's a Whirlwind" by Anna Llenas and it's one of the best picture books we've seen that talks about ADHD / ADD / Autism in a way that children will understand and adults will also feel perfectly summarises what it's like to be the parents, teacher or guardian for a child that has these conditions.

We tread warily here, purely because these are such misunderstood and misdiagnosed conditions and it's easy to think that most busy and active children show the symptoms, but Anna delves into what it feels like from Little Mole's side, what it's like to have too much energy to switch off your mind or to focus on just one thing.

Little Mole has a fairly miserable time at school. He struggles to pay attention in class, he's definitely a whirlwind, the other school children often avoid him and won't play with him because they think he's useless, reckless and hyperactive and with the final end of term project coming up, there's the anxiety of what Little Mole can do for his project to add to his stress.

Thankfully Little Mole's parents spy an advert in the newspaper for a fantastic after-school place that might finally help Little Mole and settle his mind. Miss Rabbit enters their lives and for the first time she shows that there are ways to help, but most of all she does something for Little Mole that no one else has.

She listens.

Over the course of the next few weeks Little Mole and Miss Rabbit do lots of things together, make things, bake things but most of all talk about his feelings and how to use his energy.

So when his final project time finally rolls around, Little Mole has a surprise for everyone. Including us readers! (Which obviously we're not going to spoil for you). It's such a heart-meltingly touching moment that it'll make you feel like cheering for Little Mole but we'll say no more than that.

This book is fantastic, really special and we can see this being an amazingly useful story to use in schools and indeed in sessions like Miss Rabbit's, to help other children like Little Mole feel that they're also represented in books and that they do not need to feel demonised or put upon.

Truly amazing.

C's best bit: Little Mole's end of term surprise for everyone, which is such a lovely moment.

Daddy's favourite bit: Intelligently put together and written, fantastically illustrated (with some truly awesome cardboard and papercrafting) but above all the first properly sensitively written children's picture book about ADD / ADHD that we've seen on the blog. Breathtakingly good, everyone needs to read this one.

* Read it Daddy *

From the second Little Mole wakes up, he storms through the burrow like a whirlwind. Everything's a distraction. He can't sit still in class or listen to instructions. No one wants to play with him and Little Mole is sad.
His exhausted parents are at a loss as to what to do to help him. But then they spot a very interesting advert in the newspaper, placed by Serena the Forest Bunny offering creative learning opportunities. Little Mole's parents sign him up and wait to see if Serena can help Little Mole find some focus.
I think this book reflects aspects of many children you might meet as a teacher, but it could be especially powerful to use when discussing different learning needs with pupils and staff - one size does not fit all when it comes to the classroom.
As well as being an uplifting story with quirky illustrations, this book may also be useful for families with children who have ADD or ADHD. It would provide the opportunity for a conversation about some of the difficulties a child might be facing at school and provide hope that there are ways to make things easier.
A touching and funny book which addresses the condition of ADHD with a light hand.

* Library Girl and Book Boy *