Children's Literature





Author: Maria de Fatima Campos
Title: Victoria’s Day
Publication Information: Published in 2007 by Publisher Frances Lincoln Limited
Grade level: Preschool and up
Age level: 3 and up

Synopsis

The story encompasses a day in the life of Victoria who is four years old. The book narrates Victoria’s day, which is a busy one from getting ready in the morning to go to school, to highlighting her extracurricular activities like ballet and feeding ducks, to helping with making dinner to her bedtime routine. Victoria’s day is like a typical day in a life of any preschooler where she paints, plays games, plays with friends and reads however; Victoria has Down Syndrome.

Why is this book a good resource for teachers?

The book was evaluated according to the Disability as Diversity Checklist and received a grade over 7/9. The copyright of the book was in 2007 and the target age was 3 and up or from preschool and up. The reading level is developmentally appropriate for the levels intended and easy to follow because the illustrations describe the written material perfectly without the text being too overwhelming. 
The illustrations used in the book were action photographs of Victoria throughout her day as she integrates within her home life and life at school with her parents and her peers positively through participating in the same activities. Within the story, Victoria is depicted as a genuine individual with her own personality and characteristics such as having leadership roles like when she picked out things to eat for dinner and being the cashier when playing “shops” with her friends at school.
The story line accepts Victoria based on her individual behaviours and not on an extraordinary talent. The story line could also be told if the main character did not have a disability. Readers can compare and contrast their experiences with Victoria’s and realize that there really is no difference between them. Furthermore, Victoria is not depicted as a person with a disability rather just a preschooler. Throughout the story, loaded words were never used to describe Victoria in any way. Within the story, Victoria is able to identify with her parents, teachers and peers as positive and constructive role models since, she works together with them to learn and grow as an individual.
The author of the story, Maria de Fatima Campos, is Victoria’s mother and this brings a strength and value to the book from a mother’s perspective. Campos, brings the humanistic characteristics of people who have a disability which are sometimes forgotten. The book tells the story in a positive light where Victoria’s inclusion within the classroom and society was celebrated.

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Author:         Written by: Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
                   Illustrated by: Pam DeVito
Title: We’ll Paint the Octopus Red
Publication Information: Published in 1998 by Woodbine House
Grade level: Kindergarten and up
Age level: 5 and up

Synopsis 

The story is about an only child (Emma) anticipating the arrival of a new brother or sister. Emma who is six years old reminisces about not being very happy when she found out she was getting a new brother or sister. She warmed up to the idea by talking to her dad about all the fun things she could do with him/her. Some activities included: going to Grandpa’s farm and feeding the calves, riding in the back seat of the car while eating fruit snacks and sticking out their tongues, painting a picture with an octopus, going to see Aunt Wendy and going on a safari in Africa. Then Emma’s new brother Isaac was born and he was born with Down Syndrome. Emma then questions her dad whether Isaac would be able to do all the activities she wanted to do with him. Emma comes to the realization that Isaac would be able to do anything that he ever wanted to do.

Why is this book a good resource for teachers?

The book was evaluated according to the Disability as Diversity Checklist and received a grade over 7/9. The story is based on an older sibling’s perspective of making sense of an exceptionality of a younger sibling. At the end of the book, there is a section called “Questions & Answers about Down Syndrome” where frequently asked questions by children in families with a sibling with Down Syndrome were summarized. These questions were compiled by Woodbine House from parents of children with Down Syndrome. I find this part of the book an extremely valuable resource since teachers would benefit because the responses to the questions are easy to understand while being inclusive when describing children with the exceptionality. The copyright of the book was in 1998 and the target age was 5 and up or from kindergarten and up. The reading level is developmentally appropriate for the levels intended and easy to follow because the illustrations describe the written material perfectly without the text being too overwhelming.
            The illustrations used in the book did not carry any stereotypes with them rather, the book illustrated that Emma’s brother is able to do the same activities or hold the same roles as Emma even though he has an exceptionality, which is portrayed in a positive light. Isaac is empowered throughout the book since; he was depicted as a genuine individual capable to do many things. For instance, Emma questions her father about whether Isaac can do the activities she wanted to do with him and she tells her father, “[h]e won’t be able to ride in the back of the mini-van and eat fruit snakes and stick out his tongue at cars. My dad smiled and said that he figured Isaac would be very good at both things”. Thus, even though Isaac has an exceptionality he is portrayed positively as an active contributing individual.
            The story line accepts Isaac based on his individual behaviours and not on an extraordinary talent. The story is told with the main character not having a disability; rather the main character, which is Emma, is Isaacs’s sister. By the end of the story, Emma comes to the conclusion that her new baby brother Isaac is not very different from anyone of us since he is able to do the same things. Throughout the story, loaded words were never used to describe Isaac in any way. However, Down Syndrome is used to describe baby Isaac’s condition but is still inclusive since it’s a medical designation. Furthermore, Emma call’s Isaac’s condition a “Down thing” but not in a negative way rather she tries to understand the limitations to having the condition and realizes that Isaac is still able to accomplish anything he wanted to.
The author of the story, Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, is a mother and a teacher of early childhood education. This brings strength and value to the book from a mother’s perspective and an academic perspective on children’s views, growth and development as was seen in Emma’s character.

Additional Books



Title: So B. It
Author: Sarah Weeks
Publication Information: Published in 2004 by Balzer & Bray
Grade level: Grade 6 and up
Age level: 11 and up



Title: Where’s Chimpy
Author:         Written by: Berniece Rabe
                Photographs by: Diane Schmidt
Publication Information: Published in 1991 by Albert Whitman & Company
Grade level: Preschool and up
Age level: 4 and up

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