Coming to terms with a life-threatening condition is difficult for allergic children. But now they have an ally...Cyril the Squirrel.

The Diary of Cyril the Squirrel was written to help children aged three to seven adopt a healthy attitude to nut allergy.

The author and illustrator is Lucy Warn, who has a younger sister, Susannah, with nut allergy. Lucy, from Southampton, said: "There is a lot of medical information around about nut allergy, but you can't give that to young children. I felt something was needed to help them feel comfortable with the subject, and also help them not feel alone."

She writes in the book: Cyril always felt a little shy about having to take his own nut-free food to birthday parties but he learned not to let this spoil his fun.

He explained to his friends: "Some of the party food may have nuts in and would make me very ill."