Payton Is Afraid of Dirt

From lived experience, Shanna Simpson has crafted an insightful children's story that illuminates OCD from the mind of a child, and effectively captures the need for support to address mental health.

An excellent additional to picture book nonfiction that I plan to integrate into my classroom in the future.

I really loved this book. It was really well illustrated and it represented OCD well. I think this book is good for both children with OCD so they can understand it more and realize they are not alone. It is also helpful for children without OCD to learn about children who are different than them. While the story may not be the most gripping for children, it does a great job explaining OCD and what it is like. The illustrations are very catching though, so I think it is a good balance with such an informative story.

This book is narrated by Payton, a small boy who is diagnosed with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder).

He finds himself not wanting to go outside to play but staying cooped up inside his home cleaning his room, his toys, and his hands incessantly... over and over again. His mind dictates to him that he may get sick from all the dirt and germs surrounding him. This continual mind-attack keeps him in worry-mode. His OCD bosses him around all day and forces him to stay isolated from the things and people he loves because he feels he must constantly be fighting a war on dirt.

He is unable to understand his obsessive behaviour and pleads with his parents to help make it stop. He desperately wants to know what is happening to him. Wisely they take him to a family psychiatrist, Dr. LaBock, who is kind and understands exactly what Payton is experiencing.

The gentle knowledgeable doctor teaches Payton that he is not alone in this fight. Both he and Payton's loving family are there for support. He tells Payton that other kids have OCD also so he's not alone. He discusses his diagnosis with both Payton and his mother and gives them strategies to help fight, control and conquer this daily battle of what is going on inside of him.

The author is very qualified to deal with this topic as she too was diagnosed with OCD when she was very young and can relate to Payton's anguish and his desire to be healed.

The illustrations are expressive and colorful, enriching the author's message that she is conveying to her young readers. The story is very child-friendly and relatable to other children who may be suffering with OCD symptoms as well. This book is a wonderful tool to share and gives both child and parent an opportunity to discuss ways to support each other at such a time as this. A copy would be a wonderful addition to any classroom or elementary school library.

This is a great book for any young children that are suffering from OCD, it explains to them that they are not alone and also gives them hints and tips on how to try and deal with it and encourages them to speak to their parents about it - 4 stars

Payton is a boy who begins obsessively cleaning, and can't figure out why. His parents take him to a doctor, where he finds out he has OCD. This book did a great job of introducing and explaining OCD to kids. It doesn't come off as scary, and I really appreciated the way it touches on different methods of treatment that someone might try. The author herself has OCD, which I think is really important for books like this to make sure things are authentic and not offensive. Highly recommend this for elementary school classrooms.

Insightful and educational book. Information is done well with words and illistrations. Good illistrations. Read with your kids! Would recommend this book.

There will be children who need to see and hear this book. This would be a must-have for lower elementary libraries or guidance officers' rooms.