Children's book
Anna and Dedo
A Thumb Ventures Out
Anna can do a lot at the age of four and she’s very proud of it. But it’s been pretty difficult to stop sucking her thumb. Until Anna discovers her thumb’s secret and, together with her parents, finds an extraordinary solution.
A story by René and Martina Gisler Illustrated by Arnav Chakraborty
Why Anna and Dedo is the Perfect Fit for Your Child
About the Book
For children who suck their thumbs, kicking the habit is a major developmental milestone. The beautiful story of Anna and her thumb allows children to reflect on the issue without it being portrayed in a negative or embarrassing light. Rather, the protagonist of the story is a young girl helping her thumb.
Why We Wrote Anna and Dedo
Our eldest daughter discovered the love for her thumb very early on. During an ultrasound, we were amazed to see her sucking her thumb. As a baby, it was very helpful for her – and for us – that she could use her thumb to calm herself down. We tried the pacifier too, but she never accepted it and we couldn’t get used to it either.
When our daughter went to the dentist for the first time, it was recommended that she stops sucking her thumb by the age of three. Which isn’t that easy once you’ve gotten used to your thumb.
This book grew from many of the ideas and stories we told our daughter while she was trying to quit.
We also read the few children’s books already published on the subject of thumb-sucking with our daughter. But it was very important to us that thumb–sucking shouldn’t be viewed negatively or even labeled as embarrassing. We didn’t want to tell our child that her calming strategy was embarrassing or bad.
About Thumb-Sucking
Thumb-sucking is a natural and absolutely harmless habit for babies and toddlers up to three years of age. However, starting at the age of three, if the thumb is sucked intensively and frequently, it can lead to problems with the teeth and jaw. Therefore, most dentists recommend children stop sucking their thumbs by age three.
Some children will stop sucking their thumbs on their own as they get older. Others become reliant on thumb-sucking for everyday activities like falling asleep.
We believe a feel-good story, like Anna and Dedo, can make children realize that it’s worth quitting. We designed this book to be positive, realistic, and to provide strategies for weaning the thumb.
You can find a lot more useful information about thumb-sucking here.
The book is available in two versions. In a softcover version (ISBN 979-8748075022) with standard paper thickness 100 g/m² and in a robust hardcover version (ISBN 978-3-00-071365-1) with 105g/m² premium color paper.
The softcover is only available at Amazon. The hardcover is available at Amazon and in many other online stores and bookstores. Among others in the online store of BARNES&NOBLE, Walmart & Target.
The digital edition of Anna and Dedo is available as a fixed format e-book, and is therefore only suitable for tablets and smartphone apps.
With the free Kindle app you can read the e-book on almost any e-device, including iPad, iPhone and most Android tablets.
Free Printable Coloring Pages
Anna and Dedo: The Coloring Book
The coloring book for Anna and Dedo – A Thumb Ventures Out is intended to supplement the story.
By coloring, your child can better relate to the story and deal with thumb-sucking on a deeper level. This indirectly helps him or her to break the habit.
Customer reviews from Amazon.com, Amazon.com.au & Amazon.de
About Us
When our two children were young, we decided to quit our jobs as a language teacher and electrical engineer and travel as a family. As a result, in addition to having more quality family time, we then had the energy to devote to projects that wouldn’t have been feasible as parents working full-time. This book was and is still one of those projects, and it’s been a labor of love. We want to help other families and children as they get a handle on thumb-sucking and work to break the habit.
