Jake is a boy who has to go to the doctor a lot. He used to be afraid of needles, but not anymore because he has learned how to be brave! Brave Jake is easy to read and a great length for busy pediatric doctor's offices, waiting areas, and for those patients who may need a little encouragement. (Also available: Brave Kayla, the sister version of Brave Jake.)- A special shout-out from the author to all her fellow special needs families.- "As a subspecialty physician who cares for children, and especially those with 22q11 deletion, I see more than my fair share of kids who are scared or nervous about getting bloodwork done. I also see a lot of kids who are unsure about how to deal with their medical issues with their friends, and Michelle clearly writes from having experienced much of this in her own child. This short story presents these topics in a relatable way, and would work as a nice distraction during the blood-draws themselves! I'm always amazed how resilient kids are, but this story will help them cope too." -Nick Bennett MBB Chir, PhD, Division Head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Connecticut Children's Medical Center- "As a mom who brings her children to the doctor a lot and often lives at the hospital for days at a time, this book will be coming with us to every appointment!" -Kim Jennings, IVIG infusion mom - "Brave Kayla and Brave Jake are books that I need to have in my school nurse office. This book not only helps children who often need medical treatments, but helps those who don't need treatment often, to understand. I like the pages that speak to the importance of privacy at a child's level of understanding. The illustrations are lovely, bright, soft and so cute. The font, easy to read with great placement. I enjoyed reading Michelle's books." - Sherri Lewis Knapp- "Working in the emergency room and urgent care you get used to seeing sick people. The one thing I never can 'get used to' is seeing sick children; they always tug at my heartstrings. As a provider and as a parent I love how this book helps teach young children not only what to expect, that it's going to be ok, but also that they are not the only one who goes through this, even though it may seem like that to them in the moment. Helping children know what to expect goes a long way; it helps reduce their anxieties about it, makes the process easier/smoother and is less scary the next time. I would recommend this book to any parent with a young child age six months to second grade as well to pediatricians, children's hospitals and offices that treat young children." -Heather Ryng PA-C- #specialneeds #22q #anxiety #bravery #beingbraveatthedoctor - Brave Kayla and Brave Jake books are written by Michelle Spray and Illustrated by Valeria Leonova- Michelle Spray is an additional needs mom living in Connecticut with her husband and their four children. Michelle understands "bravery" not only as a mom of two children who have endured multiple surgeries, procedures, and prodding because of kidney issues and 22q Deletion Syndrome, but she is also a scoliosis warrior. Her memoir Growing Up with Scoliosis became her first book on her journey as an author. She is proud to supply an underlying theme of HOPE in all of her books.- Connect with Michelle on Social Media @ spraybooksetc