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Author of the children's picture book, "Hero Kids in the Making", and father of a 6-year-old hero kid.
At only 15 months old, my son started undergoing lots of medical testing and treatments associated with his Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS). He was only about 28 months old when his medical treatment-related anxiety started to become concerning. This became a separate new issue of his negative well-being. His anxiety would start to trigger in the parking lot of the doctor's office and only heightened from there. When he heard his named called in the waiting room he would start to cry in fear. At the time I was looking in the marketplace for the ideal childhood product that would inform, distract and reward my son in his participation in these procedures. I was looking for something in which the sugar-coat wasn’t so thick, and the distraction did not suggest that pain wouldn’t exist. I found no such children's product.
I knew from having 11 nieces and nephews that regardless of what adults told children, they created fictitious monsters for their fears and imagery heroes overcome them. I wanted my son to see himself as a brave hero overcoming his reasonable fears associated with the pain and uncharted aspects of his medical tests and treatments. I then started to think that I could create such a tool myself. Being a big sci-fi fan and amateur writer, I remembered a quote I had learned; “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. This was from Arthur C. Clarke's “Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible”, a non-fiction book.
I was thinking of a story that would be on a kid’s level of understanding and within their childhood interests. This would be a fun fantasy tale to grasp a child's imagination but also inspire bravery. I wanted an origin type story with cute magical animals that kids would adore. I wanted to include how these kids, who are actual heroes, could become their own hero kid in the making. I wanted a story easily understood by very young kids but still interesting and exciting to kids 8 to 9 years old. Children like him will always be heroes and modern medicine is truly magical. This story although fantasy, would also have to be an accurate kid’s self-help instruction manual for these medical procedures. The end result was this children’s picture book, Hero Kids in the Making!
~Wg Williams
Wg Williams received a 5 Star review for this book from Reader's Favorites!!!
Reviewed by Laura Imaz for Readers' Favorite:
In his picture book Hero Kids in the Making, W.G. Williams presents the tale of a group of enchanted beings that reside in hospitals and guide sick kids to becoming superheroes. There are many diverse creatures, ranging from sweet silver mice that can detect and hear children's superpowers, to fairy bees that can transmit abilities through their sting. Not to mention the invisible fox! For this one to work, the child must be completely still so that it can see into their skin. Each one completes a crucial step in the process of building heroes, which also happens to involve medical procedures, and at the same time helps kids overcome their fear of these methods. This book is the ideal guide to assist kids in discovering their bravery and superpowers while they are in the hospital. Hero Kids in the Making succeeds in turning terrifying medical procedures into adorable creatures while energizing and amusing young patients. One of the aspects of the book's well-considered structure that I appreciated the most was how it allowed the child to fully immerse themselves in the vibrant visuals while listening to the text. Moreover, as the text is rhymed, I imagine reading it out loud will be enjoyable and soothing. It's generally known that medical equipment can initially seem threatening, but this book encourages kids to let go of their fear by connecting them to such adorable creatures. W.G. Williams has done an excellent job of describing an experience that, if unexplored, may be overwhelming. I wholeheartedly suggest this book to everyone who has a young friend or relative receiving medical treatment in a hospital. ~Laura Imaz for Readers' Favorite
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