Blind | Children's Books Heal

Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller

Doreen Rappaport, author

Matt Tavares, illustrator

Disney Hyperion Books, Biography, Oct. 16, 2012

Suitable for: Ages 6 and up

Themes: Deafblind people, Sign language, Braille, Courage, Wisdom

Opening/Synopsis: “Helen gurgled and giggled in her crib. At six months, she crawled and said, ‘How-d’ye,’ and ‘wah-wah’ for water. When she was one, she ran after a ray of sunshine. She loved the mockingbird’s song and the sweet smell of climbing roses. But best of all was being on her father’s lap and in her mother’s arms.” When Helen was 19 months old, an illness took away her sight and speech. She was surrounded by silence and darkness. Helen tried to make up signs to communicate with her parents. But her failure to make them understand turned into outbursts. Annie Sullivan came to work with Helen when she was seven years old. Helen learned sign language quickly and was considered a genius. Annie taught her Braille so she could read books. She learned to write with a pencil, read lips, speak, and to experience the world with enthusiasm. Helen graduated from college with honors. Helen’s journey out of darkness led to freedom and she taught people how very large her world was.

Why I like this book: The title says it all “Helen’s Big World,”which is rich, full of life and not limited in any way. This is an excellent introduction for young readers to learn about this most remarkable woman. Doreen Rappaport beautifully captures the essence of this very inspirational child and woman, Helen Keller. It is written in prose with quotes from Helen woven into the story on every page. The book not only chronicles the story of Helen’s challenging and courageous life, but shows children how one can move beyond physical limitations, find their own gifts and change the world for the better. The book is large and Matt Tavares’ illustrations are bold, colorful, emotional and lively. The illustrator emphasizes what Helen can do. This book is a feast for the soul. Adults will also enjoy reading this treasure. I love that the book title is also printed in braille on the front cover.

Favorite Quotes: “We do not think with eyes and ears, and our capacity for thought is not measured by five senses.”

“The chief handicap of the blind is not blindness, but the attitude of seeing people toward them.”

“I have the advantage of a mind trained to think, and that is the difference between myself and most people, not my blindness and their sight.”

Resources: The book alone is a great resource. There are back pages of resources and materials, as well as a page of the manual alphabet chart Annie Sullivan used with Helen. The American Foundation for the Blind has great resources or kids and teachers, especially if you scroll down and click on the Braille Bug link. Check out author Doreen Rappaport’s website. This is an excellent book for the classroom.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Reaching for Rainbows

Nessa Morris, Author

Caroline Lee, Illustrator

uTales eBook, May 2012, Fiction

Suitable for: Ages 3 and up

Themes: Rainbows, Blind, Visual Impairment, Friendship

Opening: “A rainbow,” said Betsy. “It’s so beautiful. “Where? I want to hold it,” said Amelia, who is blind. Betsy sees a rainbow and describes it to her friend, Amelia. Amelia wants to touch the rainbow, but Betsy tells her that no one can touch a rainbow because it is just colors. But, through a surprising twist, Amelia teaches Betsy that you can touch, smell, taste and feel colors in a way Betsy has always taken for granted.

Why I like this book: Nessa Morris has written a charming book with an inspiring message about a visually impaired girl who teaches her friend how to “see” in her world. I love this theme! Nessa’s book will certainly encourage children to think and see in a new way. Very clever ending. Kudos to the author. As you can tell from the cover, Caroline Lee’s illustrations are a feast for the eyes. Each illustration is simply beautiful and draws the child into the story.

Nessa Morris is the director of a library that serves people with visual impairments. Before becoming a library director, one of Nessa’s favorite jobs was being a children’s librarian. As the “Storytime Princess,” she enjoyed introducing puppetry to children. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children. You can reach her by clicking on her website.

What prompted you to write about a visually-impaired child?

[N] I work with people who have visual impairments. I also write stories for children. Combining the two was natural. After I realized that there weren’t too many book with visually-impaired children as main characters, I just knew I had to write this story.

Did the rainbow idea come first, or a child who was blind?

[N] The idea of a color-concept story with a visually-impaired main character appealed to me, because the two don’t necessarily seem to go together. The rainbow came about because it’s the ultimate way to combine colors and yet it’s also difficult to describe on a physical basis since it has no substance. I tried to think of how I would describe it in detail. The story just flowed from there.

What was your experience like working with uTales?

[N] I found out about uTales through a member of my critique group. Sandra Hershenson, who had published her story Annie & Me. After seeing her story, I felt that Reaching for Rainbows would be a good fit with uTales. I signed up for a free trial, and read several stories. Once I was sure that uTales was the route I wanted to take, I pitched the idea to the uTales collaboration group on Facebook. Caroline Lee was interested in illustrating the story. She showed me a few of her illustrations, and we agreed to work together. Caroline did some rough sketches of her ideas. After we agreed that the story was on the right track, she colored the illustrations, and Reaching for Rainbows truly began to take shape. Caroline’s illustrations made the rainbow come to life in a tangible way. Also, the rainbow belonged to both Amelia and Betsy. I loved the idea that no one can reach a rainbow, but everyone can find a way to hold a rainbow in their heart. After a bit of minor tweaking, the story was submitted to the uTales editorial panel. It was accepted and published within a few days after submission.

How has the experienced helped you as an author? Would you recommend other authors publish on uTales?

As a new author, it’s great to see my work come to life. The best part is being able to read the story with my three-year-old daughter. She loves flipping through and “reading” the colors to me. Publishing on uTales is a much quicker process than with a traditional publisher. You have the benefit of working one-on-one with an illustrator and the two of you set the pace. Creating a book with uTales also means that you have greater artistic control over your work than you would have with a traditional publisher. Since uTales uses an editorial panel, the finished book will be a quality product. I would definitely recommend that other authors take advantage of the uTales free trial period, review the books and decide whether they feel that uTales publishing is right for them.

About uTales eBooks: Click here to learn more about uTales children’s ebooks and to sign up for a free trial. uTales was initiated by Swedish businessman, Nils von Heijne. Emma Dryden, of drydenbks, oversees the Editorial Quality uTales Panel. Authors and Illustrators are from all over the world and form a unique community.