frontlines
W
ant to explain to kids why
they might not be allowed
to bring certain foods to
school because of an allergic class-
mate?
Rochel Burstyn, a Southfield mother of
seven, published a book in June to do just
that.
Pinny the Peanut Learns About Allergies
(Feldheim Publishers) is a 29-page hard-
back picture book that uses rhyming
couplets to tell the story of a peanut who
is harvested, processed into peanut butter
and eaten by an allergic child.
The book's whimsical illustrations are
by Baltimore resident Tali Apt, formerly of
Roche! and Jaron Burstyn with Yoni,
Bentzi, Avi, Binjomin, Raizel and Atara
(baby Zahava Lasha not pictured)
Oak Park.
Along with the story, Burstyn presents
fun facts about allergies that can be used
as conversation starters by parents and
teachers.
In addition to helping explain allergies
to kids who have them, the book is useful
to help children understand why they can't
bring peanut butter to school or offer cer-
tain foods to certain friends.
When it comes to kids with allergies,
Burstyn and her husband, Jaron, are
experts.
Two of her seven children, Yoni, now 13,
and Avi, 9, had numerous food allergies.
They outgrew most of them although Avi
landed in the hospital not long ago after
eating something his parents didn't realize
he was allergic to.
But for Binyomin, 7, food allergies are
a constant and possibly life-threatening
problem.
Binyomin was covered in skin rashes
almost from the time he was born, Burstyn
said. When his doctor wanted to do allergy
testing, they had trouble finding a clear
patch of skin to test.
When they finally did test him, said
Burstyn, Binyomin had a reaction to every
allergen "except cat poo and shrimp:'
Because the Burstyns are Orthodox,
shrimp wasn't a diet option. Burstyn decid-
JN CONTENTS
Tali Apt
ed she'd let her son eat anything that didn't
make him throw up and use Benadryl to
cope with skin and breathing reactions.
The Burstyns keep an Epi-Pen handy for
severe allergic reactions, but have never
had to use it.
Binyomin is especially sensitive to fish
and peanuts; even the smell can cause a
reaction.
Finding few books about allergies from
the child's perspective, and none with
Jewish characters, Burstyn decided to
write one herself.
This is Burstyn's second picture book.
Where Are My Shoes?, published last
year by Judaica Press, teaches children
the importance of being neat. Burstyn
also self-published Faigy, the Very Clever
Baby with her daughter Raizel, now 12, in
2013, the same year she published Choices
(Judaica Press), a collection of short sto-
ries. She also writes articles for Orthodox
children's magazines and occasional light-
hearted pieces on family topics for the JN.
Pinny the Peanut Learns About Allergies
is available from amazon.com , feldheim.
corn, locally at Borenstein's and Spitzer's
bookstores and from Burstyn by emailing
burstynwithjoy@hotmail.com.
92, iseuols p eJoi oo
illustrated by
Barbara Lewis
Contributing Writer
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Rochel Burstyn
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July 23-29, 2015 I 7-13 Av 5775 I Vol. CXLVII, No. 25
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