FROM THE PUBLISHER: “This beautifully illustrated guide helps young people with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) to understand their diagnosis, develop self-awareness and implement their own personalised problem-solving strategies. Written in consultation with young people with PDA and their families, this book recognises the importance of handing control back to the young person, and that there is no one-size-fits-all PDA profile. Readers are encouraged to engage throughout with interactive writing, doodling and checklist exercises to explore their own particular characteristics, strengths and challenges.
Me and My PDA is sensitively tailored to the needs and experiences of young people (aged 10+) with PDA. The guide is designed to grow with the reader, and can be used for many years as the young person develops and changes – making it invaluable to PDA-diagnosed individuals and their families.”
REVIEWS:
“Insightful, helpful, encouraging, hopeful and compassionate from beginning to end! Realising that your child may have, or has recently been diagnosed with, ASD with a profile of PDA can be a daunting and overwhelming experience for many parents. But, help is now at hand in the form of this refreshing and unique addition to the current range of PDA literature. I sincerely wish that this book had been available when myself and my daughter first began navigating this most complex of journeys and I can’t recommend it highly enough to those who are now beginning, or struggling in theirs.” – Jane Sherwin, author of ‘Pathological Demand Avoidance syndrome: My Daughter is not Naughty’
“I think that one of the best ways to help your PDA child is to support them to gain insight in a nonjudgmental and open way. Helping them communicate this to you helps them feel understood and then empowers you as their advocate. It also helps you as the parent see all those truly wonderful positives about your PDA child. This book provides a wonderful framework for doing that.” – Cassandra Davies, parent of a young person with PDA and member of PDA Action Group Somerset and PDA, Pathological Demand Avoidance Support – Families & Practitioners UK
“It is a sensitive book based on an excellent understanding of PDA, which is probably the hardest form of Autism, and so exhausting for the children, young people and families that it affects. I cannot recommend it highly enough.” – Sarah Wild, Headteacher of Limpsfield Grange
“This book is a very valuable addition to the PDA library. Part self-help guide, part gentle workbook, it’s presented in a really positive, accessible style which most importantly puts the young person with PDA in the driving seat.”- The PDA Society.
“This publication provides a starting point for a conversation with the child about their form of autism and how it is part of their unique personality and profile. The accessible and informative style will provide an invaluable resource to anyone looking to support a child in developing his or her self-awareness” – Phil Christie, Consultant Child Psychologist, author of ‘Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome. A Guide for Parents, Teachers and Other Professionals’.
Co-authored by Dr. Gloria Dura-Vila and Tamar Levi. Illustrated by Tamar Levi
Like all the books in the award winning Philosophy Foundation Book Series, this edition is a beautiful hardback book with content that is tried and tested in the classroom.
Provocations is a set of philosophy sessions designed for secondary school and predicated on pedagogical methods. These sessions are mature and challenging, exploring (amongst other things), Wagner and desire, Shakespeare and madness, Joan of Arc and gender, Faust and temptation, Nostradamus and time. They span the curriculum and provide an opportunity for teachers across a range of subjects to introduce a philosophical approach to their lessons. There are tips and suggestions throughout on how to use the book in the classroom. There is also an extensive reading list for those who wish to explore the topics in greater depth, as well as an introduction to basic logic and guidelines to help students write their own sessions.
Author: David Birch. Illustrator: Tamar Levi.
Provocations was shortlisted for the Educational Resources Award 2015 in the Secondary non-ICT section.
Review of Provocations by Michelle Sowey of The Philosophy Club Review of Provocations by TDRE (Andy Lewis) Review of Provocations by UKEDCHAT
Once Upon an If comprises a treasury of tales, old and new, to get young audiences thinking actively about the deeper issues within. Guidance notes, lesson plans and questions are included with every story, which have been tried and tested in the classroom inspiring children’s imaginations and developing critical engagement, speaking and listening skills. Written by Peter Worley and illustrated by Tamar Levi.
Once upon an If was a finalist for the Education Resources Award, Educational Book of the Year 2014 and was awarded the Bronze Prize for Primary Teacher Update’s Annual Awards 2014.
My Autism Book is a carefully illustrated picture book that helps parents to explain an autism diagnosis to their child in a sensitive, positive and accurate way. When a child is diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) parents often feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how to communicate the diagnosis to their child.
This book is designed to be read with the child as a simple introduction to their diagnosis. Written by a doctor and a children’s author, the book is tailored precisely to the needs and experiences of the child with ASD aged 5 and up. It explains what an autism diagnosis means and encourages an exploration of the child’s likely strengths and differences using clear language that speaks directly to the child. The colourful pictures throughout show how the world looks from the child’s perspective and the book ends with a summary checklist to encourage the child to record and discuss how autism affects them.
Concept, design and illustration by Tamar Levi. Co-authored by Dr. Gloria Dura-Vila and Tamar Levi. £9.99 You can buy this book directly from Jessica Kingsley Publishing or Amazon.co.uk for deliveries within the UK. For global deliveries you can buy this book from Amazon.com.
What’s your main style? I have two styles of drawing: in colour, I take a felt tip marker approach. In black and white, it’s pen and inking all the way.
No, not what tools, what style? Well, I most enjoy drawing an entire portrait in one line. One single permanent pen and ink line. No pencils. No erasers. No mistakes. I just let go and allow the fluid motion of the ink to mirror the motion in the shape of the form. Picasso made a series of single line drawings. Klee called drawing “taking a line for a walk.” Steinberg explored the properties of the single line too.
Are your single line drawings just like Picasso’s? I’m not sure if Picasso did it this way, but I try not to look at the paper, almost entirely at the model or scene. Do you know of any others who specialise this way?
No. I’ve never heard of it. Well if you do, please let me know. I’m talking to curators about pulling together a small gallery of pieces that work within the method. Plus, I’m working really hard on trying to say no to illustration projects that want me to work in any other style. It’s hard to say no when you’re an early career illustrator, but it’s the core of my current pet project so I kind of want to make it my sole focus at the moment.
What’s the project? I aim to illustrate my graphic novel, Delphi, entirely in one line. One pen and ink blind contour continuous single line that journeys through the whole book. If I can gather together my talented musician and animation friends I might just be able to make this thing an all singing all dancing kind of event.
How far along are you? The graphic novel manuscript is researched, written and edited. The images and characterisation are developed and collated. The musicians and animators are on board. Final step: illustrate it. And I’m so excited! Looking back at old sketchbooks I’m realising now, it looks like it just might be my default illustration style. Do you know what I mean by that? Like, your default dance move. One motion that you use to connect to the scene around you. Then you build up from there. Maybe in comedy they’d be called one liners. Maybe in art my drawings should be called one liners too!
*** I thought I’d put this informal interview up on my blog to signpost my interest in the style to the wide world of webbers. I’m writing here in the hope the internet will help ask around to see if anyone else is working in this style. So anyone out there drawing their own one liners please do send me jpegs of your work via the contact page on my website and I’ll put them up, credit the illustrator and link to their contact pages. Hopefully, if investment follows through, you’ll be on speed dial to hang your framed pieces somewhere pretty too. I admire every artist exercising this continuous line method. There’s something steadying about the confidence it takes. Something cathartic about both the continuity and the completed circle. I think the world would do well to have a lovely little gallery that takes them on a cathartic journey, in one line.
-T-
Using Homer’s epic tales as inspiration, this book offers lesson plans and storytelling tips to facilitate philosophical discussions with children aged 8-16. The If Odyssey draws out the philosophy that lies behind each story in Homer’s epic tale to introduce children not only to the exciting fables of Odysseus but also to that other great Ancient Greek tradition, philosophy. Explore with Odysseus the value of happiness, non-existent entities, moral dilemmas, the philosophy of prophecy and the nature of love among many other philosophical issues.
Online you’ll find maps of Odysseus’ journey, and the words of Tiresias that provide clues for the children as to Odysseus’ progress and an Ancient Greek language workshop with accompanying worksheets. You can use the ‘Storykit’ section, which provides hints and tips on storytelling skills to bring the tales of The Odyssey to life and stimulate independent, critical thinking with your children or class.
The If Odyssey was shortlisted for the Education Resources Award, Educational Book 2013 and was awarded the Bronze Prize in the Primary Teacher Update’s Annual Awards 2013.
Concept and content by Peter Worley. Cover by Tim Bradford. Content illustrated by Tamar Levi.
You can read about how I researched the illustrations using Ancient Greek artefacts at the British Museum in my blog here. And you can buy the book here:
A one-stop shop with puzzles, lesson plans, discussion starters and stories to tap into young people’s natural curiosity and get them thinking deeply.
Professional philosophers contribute the most stimulating ideas, thought experiments, activities and pictures to get young people thinking philosophically. This book can be used as a classroom tool, a gift for family thinking, a workout for the brain or when just browsing big ideas around The Philosophy Shop.
Edited by Peter Worley. Illustrated by Tamar Levi.
The Philosophy Shop won Book of the Year in 2012 for Philosophy, the 2013 Educational Book of the Year award and was the winner of the Compilation/Anthologies category of the 2012 New England Book Festival Competition.
Poems with stimulating philosophic content for pupils and families.
On the back cover: “Thoughtings is a poetry collection with a difference. The name ‘Thoughtings’ was inspired by a 5-year old who, when asked to explain what thinking is without using the word ‘think’ said ‘It’s when you’re thoughting’. Children love pondering big philosophical questions like ‘Does the universe end?’, ‘Where is my mind?’ and ‘Can something be true and false at the same time?’. These verses capture that impulse in the growing mind and feed it further. These are not poems or, at least, not in the traditional sense of the word… They are a kind of poem specifically designed around a particular puzzle or problem that might be thought more philosophy than poetry. Here’s to the joy of puzzlement!”
Authors: Andrew Day and Peter Worley. Illustrated by Tamar Levi.
Thoughtings has been awarded as the “Best Teaching Book” by the 50 Best Books list and Teach Primary Magazine.
Each tried and tested session in this practical book offers an imaginary situation followed by a series of questions to encourage children to challenge key philosophical ideas such as values and ethics, gender and identity, existence and beauty. The If Machine also includes key sections on the philosophy behind the experiments and an online teacher’s resource. Author Peter Worley has over 15 years’ teaching experience and is the founder of The Philosophy Foundation, a Community Interest Company that specialises in philosophy in primary schools. Tim Bradford provided the cover illustration while Tamar Levi edited the content and provided illustrations to go with the stories.
The If Odyssey was shortlisted for the Education Resources Award, Educational Book 2013 and was awarded the Bronze Prize for Primary Teacher Update’s Annual Awards 2013.
Educated in London and Cambridge, Tamar has published as an author, illustrator and editor of multiple award-wining books designed for families, classrooms and doctors. Her prized artwork is highly collectible, commissioned by private collectors, sold at private auctions and exhibited in galleries around Europe.
