Did You Say Pasghetti? Dusty and Danny Tackle Dyslexia | Dedicated Review

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The Children’s Book Review

Did You Say Pasghetti? Dusty and Danny Tackle Dyslexia

Written by Tammy Fortune

Illustrated by Peter Els

Age Range: 5+

Hardcover: 26 pages

Publisher: Tammy Fortune (March 15, 2020)

ISBN: 978-1734694918

What to expect: Learning Difficulties, Dogs, School Life

Did you say Pasghetti? is an engaging picture book about a young boy, Danny, and his ups and downs with Dyslexia as told by his best friend and dog, Dusty!

Dusty the dog and Danny are the best of friends, and Dusty loves greeting Danny when he gets home from school each day. However, one day, Danny comes home having had a terrible day at school—he had trouble reading and spelling and he was feeling not so smart. He breaks down to his Mom, and all Dusty can do is lick away his tears. Sadly, the same scene happens after school more times than Dusty can handle!

Danny’s Mom takes him to a Reading Specialist and they discover that he has Dyslexia, a learning difficulty that makes reading and writing extra challenging. Absolutely nothing is wrong with Danny, his brain just learns differently! Danny gets an individual tutor that helps him learn new tricks, and so that his teachers can better support him and his brain. Now that Danny knows more about Dyslexia and how he learns best, things are still hard, but he stays positive, even adopting the phrase “Time to train my brain” each day before he works on his learning assignments. Danny realizes he can learn to do anything with practice, hard work, and his best bud Dusty by his side.

Did you say Pasghetti? is written by Tammy Fortune, a tutor who loves teaching kids to read, and owns a shop, “Tammy’s Toolbox,” full of fun and creative educational resources to help struggling readers. Tammy uses her knowledge in specialized training methods for children with Dyslexia, to show that having Dyslexia does not mean there is absolutely anything wrong with you; it means that your brain works and learns differently!

This book can change the trajectory of a young struggling reader’s life. Dusty is an excellent narrator for the book as he is Danny’s best friend and one of his biggest cheerleaders who encourages him never to give up – especially when things are hard! Struggling readers will love this book as they will relate to Danny and realize that they are not alone – 1 in 5 kids has Dyslexia.

Through beautiful and bright illustrations and the OpenDyslexic font, a font designed to make reading more accessible for those with Dyslexia, readers will love looking at how the author’s words come together nicely on each illustrated page. Proficient readers will also walk away with something significant—they will learn that having empathy for others who are not able to read easily is essential. When kids put themselves in others’ shoes, they help create a positive and safe learning environment. We love the book’s overarching theme of never giving up and that it does not paint a false picture—Dyslexia will most certainly cause its fair share of challenges. With cheerleaders, supportive teachers, classmates, tutors, and a positive mindset, things can get easier!

Just like the hidden message says, that readers can find if they combine the letters on Dusty’s bones found on each page of the book, NEVER GIVE UP! An uplifting and inspiring must-read for all school-aged children, classroom teachers, and a perfect read-aloud to start the school year off right!

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