"Not Like the Others, Harley's Story, Having a Pet with Special Needs" is written by Denise Gruzensky, RN, MSN, FNP. Harley's Story is a children's book, that emphasizes that a pet with special needs may not be like all the others because they need a little extra help in life, but they surely can love us just as much as an other pet.
This book is beautifully photographed and the photos chosen really make Harley's beautiful spirit and personality shine. It is written in Harley's voice as he takes us through his life journey. Before he was a year old he was adopted by Denise after his first family could no longer keep him, at age six he was diagnosed with diabetes, and six months later he developed cataracts. He explains to the reader how his diabetes is managed and how his environment is modified to help manage his cataracts. Harley is afraid at times, and wonders if Denise will be able to take care of him, or if she will send him way because he's just too hard to take care of? Along the way Harley makes lots of friends and goes on many adventures, including road trips and flying on airplanes.
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| Look how cute Harley is! |
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| What a nice autograph! |
For me, the message of the book was two-fold. The first being to promote animal adoption and to inform people that special needs pets needn't be given up. But this book serves another important purpose in that it helps children with special needs learn to accept themselves and others. On the first page there are passages from children and adults writing about how Harley's Story helped them understand diabetes. One 11 year old child wrote:
"This book helped me understand my sisters' diabetes. I learned that dogs and other animals can have a lot of the same diseases that people do, including diabetes. I saw pictures of and learned about insulin and blood sugars Just like in Harley's story he was loved and accepted the same after he was diagnosed, our family loves my sister just the same too."
From the back cover:
Not Like the Others -Harley's Story seeks to teach elementary children the value of being different and loving unconditionally Come along with Harley, a rescued Yorkshire Terrier, on his cross-country adventure as he learns to trust his forever family, is diagnosed with diabetes, and figures out how to live with his illness. He may not be like the others, but he is not alone and is unconditionally loved.
What a wonderful message for children to hear. I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did. You can purchase it at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can find Denise and Harley on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and their website.
Harley's motto is "Adopt, for friends cannot be bought." He is a wise little dog.
Dawn
About the author: " I graduated in 1994 with a Degree in Nursing from Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA and in 1999 from the University of San Diego with a Master's Degree in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Not Like the Others-Harley's Story: Having a Pet with Special Needs, was released November 22, 2013. The inspiration to write the story began in 2010 when my beloved furry family member was diagnosed with Diabetes. Since rescuing Harley in 2006 I've learned to live by the motto, "Adopt, for friends can't be bought". I currently live in Paradise, CA with my husband."
