Children’s Books That Respectfully Portray People with Disabilities

            In this article in The Reading Teacher, Ashley Pennell and David Koppenhaver (Appalachian State University) and Barbara Wollak (University of St. Thomas/St. Paul) say that well-chosen children’s books can act as mirrors (reflecting kids’ own thoughts, feelings, and experiences), windows (opening new worlds through characters’ experiences and responses), and doors (transporting them into adventure, fantasy, and mystery). “It is vitally important,” say Pennell, Wollak, and Koppenhaver, “to consider who is represented, who is underrepresented, who is misrepresented, and who is ignored in literature. When books painting diverse and accurate portraits of the incredible range of ability and disability are not available to students, we must question what we are teaching them about who is valued and what is important.”

The authors did a systematic search for picture books that depict people with disabilities in a respectful way, using these criteria:

-   Easy to read – third-grade readability or below, accessible to students in upper elementary grades who are reading below grade level;

-   Not overly didactic – the character with a disability is not pitied or patronized;

-   Respectful language portraying characters with disabilities as rich and complex individuals who are defined by more than their disability;

-   An interesting and engaging story line involving characters with depth;

-   Readily available from booksellers and public libraries.

The authors’ initial search identified 700 fiction and 1,100 nonfiction books, which they narrowed down to a much smaller number. Below is a sampling of the best they found. “Each book,” say the authors, “has the potential to transcend the disability category and could be enjoyed, and learned from, by all students.”

• King for a Day by Rukhsana Khan (2014) – Malik, a boy in Pakistan who uses a wheelchair, struggles with a bully and hopes to become the best kite fighter in Lahore.

• Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson (2015) – A boy in Ghana is born with a physical disability but hops the two miles to and from school, learns to play soccer, and eventually bicycles 400 miles across Ghana.

            • The Snow Rabbit by Camille Garoche (2015) – In this wordless book, two sisters, one using a wheelchair, watch snow falling outside their window; one goes out and makes a snow rabbit, brings the snow sculpture inside, and when it starts to melt, they go outside and play and the magic begins.

            • El Deafo by Cece Bell (2014) – This autobiographical graphic novel tells how the author lost her hearing at age 4, struggled to read lips and decipher sounds through her hearing aid, sought friendship, and imagined herself as El Deafo, a superhero who was able to hear everything.

            • Miss Little’s Gift by Douglas Wood (2009) – An autobiographical picture book about a boy with ADHD who has difficulty learning to read. With the help of a caring teacher, Douglas finds a book that interests him and discovers the joy of reading.

            • Kami and the Yaks by Andrea Stenn Stryer (2007) – A young Sherpa boy, who is deaf and unable to speak, races a big storm in the Himalayas to rescue a group of yaks who strayed from their owners.

            • A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz (2014) – A true story of a boy who spent his school years in a special classroom because of his stuttering. His teachers believe he’s incompetent, but he finds his voice through imaginary conversations with animals and becomes a strong advocate for wildlife conservation.

            • I’m Here by Peter Reynolds (2011) – A boy with autism is isolated but fully aware of his surroundings. Sitting in a playground, he makes a paper airplane and launches it into flight, and the plane is returned by a girl who may become a new friend.

            • Skateboard Sonar by Eric Stevens (2010) – A graphic novel about a skateboard competition in which Matty, who is blind, wins the competition against several bullies, showing that “seeing isn’t everything.”

            • My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best (2015) – Zulay is a blind girl who is included in a regular education classroom. She and three of her best friends debate which field day events to take part in, and Zulay ends up running a race with the help of her friends.

            • Zoom by Robert Munsch (2003) – Lauretta needs a new wheelchair and chooses a 92-speed dirt-bike model and takes it home for a trial run despite her mother’s misgivings. Then the real adventures begin.

“Respectful Representations of Disability in Picture Books” by Ashley Pennell, Barbara Wollak, and David Koppenhaver in The Reading Teacher, January/February 2018 (Vol. 71, #4, p 411-419), http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trtr.1632/abstract; the authors can be reached at mcclainae@appstate.edu, bawollak@gmail.com, and koppenhaverd@appstate.edu. 

The summary above is reprinted with permission from issue #719 of The Marshall Memo, an outstanding resource for educators