Kids with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—and their parents—will feel less alone and more empowered after they’ve curled up with Payton Is Afraid of Dirt by Shanna Simpson, illustrated by Idmary Hernandez (Future Horizons, 2017). Payton isn’t afraid of just dirt: He’s worried germs will make him sick, and he’ll get others sick, so he cleans his room, washes his hands, and avoids touching “dirty” objects. Compulsive hand-washing is perhaps the most widely known symptoms of OCD, and Payton performs this compulsion enough that his parents notice.
Payton’s family worried. Dad said, “Why are you cleaning your room so much?”
While no kid is lucky to have OCD, Payton is lucky that his compulsions were visible to his family and they were able to get him the right help. Too often family members don’t have any idea that kids are suffering because they’re dealing with mental compulsions they don’t know how to explain. Payton has a head start! His parents have been concerned for a while, and when it gets to the point that Payton no longer enjoys his favorite activity, playing baseball with his best friend, they decide to take him to a psychiatrist.
The scene with the diagnosing psychiatrist is a little long, but it’s thorough and helpful. It’s used to explain what OCD is and how it’s treated, and it should give young readers an idea of what an appointment with a psychiatrist will be like. Several strategies are noted, and medication is mentioned as a possibility as well. While the gold standard of exposure and response prevention (ERP) isn’t spelled out, it was hinted at when Payton slowly built up to touching a baseball, and readers may also like the ideas to put worries in a special box or to “shrink” obsessions in a machine.
I highly recommend that teachers and parents read Payton Is Afraid of Dirt; parents can read it themselves as well as to their child. The book ends on a hopeful note, and while the overall message may not reflect reality for many with OCD (as it takes an average of 14 to 17 years to get a proper diagnosis), it is positive: Payton is diagnosed early, his family is supportive, and he gets better, which is really the goal of spreading OCD awareness.
Alison Dotson 