NOW AVAILABLE
Samarrah just completed a children's yoga book, Downward Doggy which is availale on Amazon.
DOWNWARD DOGGY
Hang loose like a wet noodle…
Flap your legs like a butterfly…
Breathe in Doggy, Breathe Out
With each new pose, Doggy becomes calmer and calmer…
This book makes yoga fun with its easy-to-do poses.
Find a yoga mat and follow along with Doggy.
You are just a few deep breaths away from feeling peaceful and more relaxed!
WILL JAX BE HOME FOR THANKSGIVING?
“Where is my loud, silly brother?” Lyla asks. Lyla is seven, and her three-year old brother, Jax, has a brain tumor—a marble-sized lump in his head that has to be removed with surgery. Jax is in the hospital. Lyla is hoping he will be home for Thanksgiving and the family can all be together.
Any family that has had a sick child will recognize the feelings of uncertainty and anxiety that Lyla expresses. With this story, Samarrah hopes to help other children and their parents through challenging times, emphasizing the importance of love and hope.
In 2017, Samarrah’s 23-month-old son was diagnosed with a ependymoma—a rare brain tumor. Samarrah wrote this book for her family and other families faced with illness. The story is about a child’s worries about and growing understanding of her brother’s illness. It is also about gratitude and a celebration of life–no matter what.
All profits from the sale of this book will support pediatric brain tumor research.
After, her son’s diagnosis, she and her husband created The Ependymoma Research Foundation, to support research for pediatric brain tumors, with the goal of a cure.
You can learn more at: www.ependymomaresearchfoundation.org
If you are looking for a book for siblings of childhood cancer patients, this is a good one to explain what could happen with family dynamics. Given a scary environment filled with changes and uncertainty, Clayman’s child-friendly language and Preveza’s bright colors make for an optimistic, hopeful read.
Further, Clayman writes with authority on the subject, as she pulls from her own experience. In 2017, her 23-month-old son was diagnosed with an ependymoma, a rare brain tumor found mainly in young children. While the treatment involves surgery and radiation, the tumor can often reoccur, and there is no cure. For this reason, she and her husband created The Ependymoma Research Foundation, and all profits from the sale of this book will be donated there.
Pamela Brunskill, Literary Coach and Writer
The book is incredible!!!
It is so touching and brought tears to my eyes. It will no doubt be so helpful for other families facing these terrifying moments. Samarrah captured the poignancy of the effects on family and how to weave it into life as time marches on. What an incredible and wonderful book.
Dr. Torunn Yock
Director, Pediatric Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Will Jax Be Home For Thanksgiving? When A Child Has A Brain Tumor by Samarrah Fine Clayman is a beautiful and heartrending story that teaches readers important life lessons, celebrating life and being grateful. Three-year-old Jax was in the hospital. His mother told Lyla, his sister, that he had a brain tumor and he needed surgery to remove it. The doctors gave him medicine before the surgery and when he woke up, the lump was gone. Lyla was missing him because he was still in the hospital and she wanted to know how Jax got a brain tumor. She hoped he would come home before Thanksgiving because it was their favorite holiday. Lyla had many questions when she visited Jax in the hospital. She wanted to know if the doctors were nice and if the food was good. Would Jax be able to come home before Thanksgiving? Would he recover completely before Thanksgiving? Five Stars.
Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite