Holistic Outline
Experiment 2: Children's book
Title: Rodney’s Food Rainbow
Theme: The subtle theme of this book is that we should accept and appreciate everything and everyone because everyone serves a purpose. The book also promotes healthy eating habits and raises awareness for children who are picky sensory eaters.
Character: The main character is a boy named Rodney who loves red. He wears a red shirt and a red hat. He only likes to eat red foods (represents a sensory eating disorder).
Audience: This book should be directed towards preschoolers with autism, as its goal is to be the most effective book for my previously planned lesson. That means it needs to be simple and easy to understand, as these students are far behind their peers in terms of cognitive development. Thus, I will be using basic vocabulary and simple illustrations.
Pictures:
Use watercolor
Very hungry caterpillar style- all the food that he doesn’t eat piles up around him
It is important to me to use simple illustrations for various reasons. This book needs to be captivating without being overpowering, which is a fine line for the audience. Using single, simple pictures will still aid the story, but will not overwhelm the students, who have a natural tendency to be over stimulated.
Other details:
Use alliteration (Rodney likes red, swallow strawberries, etc)
Use colored text to write the color words and the foods.
Guide at the end:
A parent’s guide to sensory eaters- explains tips and tricks for getting kids to eat, why they have sensory issues, etc.
Product:
Created with Shutterfly or Blurb? Ideal would be to have cardboard pages to prevent kid-related damage.
Approx. 12 pages or 6 spreads. Brevity important to keep the students’ attention.
Potential content/plot:
Rodney loves red. It is his favorite color!
Rodney loves red so much, he only eats food that is red!
What’s working in these pages:
Describe Rodney (autism affects boys more than girls) and his eating habits.
Use simple words and descriptions.
“Rodney, eat your broccoli please,” says Rodney’s mom. “No!” Rodney says, and he chomps on red cherries. But Rodney was still hungry.
“Rodney, eat your cheese please,” says Rodney’s mom. “No!” Rodney says, and he pops a red pepper into his mouth. But Rodney was still hungry.
“Rodney, eat your blueberries please,” says Rodney’s mom. “No!” Rodney says, and he relishes some red raspberries. But Rodney was still hungry.
“Rodney, eat your corn please,” says Rodney’s mom. “No!” Rodney says, and he bites a red beet. But Rodney was still hungry.
“Rodney, eat your yogurt please,” says Rodney’s mom. “No!” Rodney says, and he swallows some red strawberries. But Rodney was still hungry.
“Rodney, eat your chicken please,” says Rodney’s mom. “No!” Rodney says, and he tastes a red tomato.
What’s working in these pages:
Go through a rainbow of other foods that his mother asks him to eat. He will refuse each food and eat a different red food, but he is always still hungry. (problem)
Later that day, Rodney started feeling a rumble in his belly. He heard his stomach start to growl and roar like a hungry lion. It got louder and louder and louder until…
What’s working in these pages:
Rodney’s stomach will start to growl. (problem calls for action)
“I’m hungry!” Rodney shouted. He looked in the fridge. All the red food was gone!
What’s working in these pages:
Problem intensifies.
His stomach grumbled and groaned until Rodney just couldn’t stand it. He ate up all the green broccoli and all the orange cheese and all the blue blueberries and all the yellow corn and all the purple yogurt and all the white chicken until he couldn’t eat any more.
What’s working in these pages:
Rodney will eat all of the food he initially refused. (solution)
Rodney rubbed his belly. It was full of delicious food that was all different colors. “From now on,” Rodney decided, “my favorite color to eat is the whole rainbow!”
What’s working in these pages:
Now, Rodney likes to eat all colors of food. (Resolution, lesson)