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4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
A BEAUTIFUL story about a little girl struggling with the idea of getting a new sibling when the father breaks the news that not only is she getting a new sibling the child is expected to have Down Syndrome which after some thinking the little girl doesn't see is an issue at all. Very sweet!
A very sweet story that can help begin the discussion of different abilities with children. I especially enjoyed that the older sister in the story assumed that her baby brother would not be able to do many of the things that she had anticipated, but quickly found that he could do anything that a typical child can do with a bit of patience. I'd recommend for second grade and up.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I will admit I got a little teary at the end of this book because the message is so wonderful. Stube-Bodeen's story is about a little girl named Emma who has big plans for her new baby brother. Emma tells her dad that when the baby grows up she will play with him, read to him, and take him on plane rides and to the art festival. These plans, however, are suddenly in doubt when she discovers he was born with Down syndrome.
I loved how this introduces Down syndrome to kids. It normalises it, makes it ok, but also makes it clear that there will be some challenges along the way both for Isaac and his family. I think this book would be great at teaching kids about the disability and helps them understand exactly what it means and how it relates to activities that they understand.
There is also an excellent information page at the end of the story that provides all sorts of information on Down syndrome and normalises it for kids and helps them understand. It's a fantastic little book and one that can help kids understand if they know someone with this condition.
A longer version of this review was published on my blog Lost in a Good Book
I loved how this introduces Down syndrome to kids. It normalises it, makes it ok, but also makes it clear that there will be some challenges along the way both for Isaac and his family. I think this book would be great at teaching kids about the disability and helps them understand exactly what it means and how it relates to activities that they understand.
There is also an excellent information page at the end of the story that provides all sorts of information on Down syndrome and normalises it for kids and helps them understand. It's a fantastic little book and one that can help kids understand if they know someone with this condition.
A longer version of this review was published on my blog Lost in a Good Book
Great book for talking to kids about Down Syndrome, especially if they are the older sibling of a child who has it.
I think this book is a wonderful text, both in terms of introducing children and families to the basics of Down Syndrome as well as, separate from it's content, an excellent picture book. The pictures are brightly colored, centered on the page, and aid student understanding of the characters and plot progression. In particular, the illustrations do a nice job of subtly representing the differences in facial characteristics of children with Down Syndrome. As the story points out, children with Down's Syndrome resemble their siblings, can do most things other kids can do with a little time and patience, and are a welcome addition to any family after the possible initial shock of diagnosis. It would serve as an ideal read aloud for a pre-school or kindergarten classroom discussing new siblings, ability, Down Syndrome or families. There is a question and answer section at the end of the story with questions which were submitted by parents of children with Down Syndrome, which were asked by their children when they found out they had a sibling with Down Syndrome. This is useful for children, parents and teachers.
Overall, I felt that this was a developmentally appropriate picture book to address one variation on ability, an issue which is often overlooked in mainstream children's publishing.
Overall, I felt that this was a developmentally appropriate picture book to address one variation on ability, an issue which is often overlooked in mainstream children's publishing.
I love that this book takes the explorative imagination of a child and gives it meaning to a real life situation. The message is helpful for not only children to understand Down's syndrome, but in some cases adults too. The illustrations do a great job of telling the story as well. The images at the beginning of the story show Emma participating in the act with her little brother nearby, however, after she learns about her brother being born with Down's syndrome, the images change and she is being a dedicated sister showing patience and care.