Visibility Of Disability In Children’s Books
Educating in values is an essential task in today’s education. In this sense, children’s books have, with their stories, a power when it comes to learning values. For this reason, there are children’s books that deal with very important topics and that show in them a series of essential values that every child must learn and acquire from a young age.
One of the essential issues today is disability. Children’s books allow the little ones to know what disability is, the different types that exist and the values that this represents, as well as the importance of normalizing it. For this reason, below we leave you a selection of children’s books that deal with disability with which you will also break stereotypes and give visibility.
Disability treated in children’s books
Stories that spread illusion
The Once Foundation is one of the entities that shows disability in children’s books. More specifically, in a collection of eleven books called Tales that infect illusion .
This collection of books shows the experiences of children with disabilities through their funny stories. Only their titles denote fun, since each of them is made up of the name of the protagonist along with a characteristic that describes him, making rhyme with his name.
In this way, the Once Foundation encourages children to learn about different disabilities and to see these people in the same way as the rest. Next, we show you all the titles that make up the collection so that you can choose yourself based on your interests:
- Amador actor: on cerebral palsy.
- Aurora announcer: about blindness.
- Silvina ballerina: about Down Syndrome.
- Pablo García police: about achondroplasia.
- Aneta poeta: on stuttering.
- Regina ace of the kitchen: on deafblindness.
- Ramón paleontologist by profession: about TEA.
- Calista journalist: immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
- Nacho Pista tennis player: about spina bifida.
- Aitor aviador: about ADHD.
- Rosalía spy: on deafness.
In addition, all these funny stories are available both in paper and digital format and in audiobook so that all children can enjoy them.
Lorenzo’s saucepan
A wonderful illustrated album that will move everyone who reads it. Noted for the simplicity of its illustrations and its concept, as well as the little text that accompanies it, it will teach the little ones the daily life of a child with a disability.
This disability will be shown to the children through a saucepan that Lorenzo always carries attached to him, and which prevents him from leading a normal life and advancing as much as he would like. Together with all this, Lorenzo is aware that many people see ‘his pot’ and that makes him feel different.
A tender and fantastic story that stands out for the importance of the message it leaves to the little ones about how people with disabilities feel and how society should act so that we all feel happy in it.
A reading recommended by the FEAPS (Spanish Confederation of Organizations in favor of People with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities) ideal for first readers due to the simplicity of which we spoke before.
In short, a wonderful book to work on emotional intelligence and a series of values that we must all show during our lives.
Super Char and his friends
Disability in children’s books also reaches into comics. This type of book attracts a lot of attention from young people due to its ease of reading and the many graphic illustrations it has. On this occasion, this collection of comics is the first designed for young people to know the rights of people with Down Syndrome.
One of the most striking characteristics of these books is that it is people with disabilities who have captured their own experiences in the comics. Through Charlie, a 17-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, we will learn about all the situations they have to face.
Wonder , one of the best-known children’s books on disability
Recommended for children from twelve years of age, it is undoubtedly a well-known book worldwide, having brought its story to the big screen relatively recently.
August, the protagonist of the story, is a child who was born with a serious illness and several deformed faces. After several years of homeschooling, her parents decide that it is time to start school. A book that will move young people and that will help them learn more about the feelings and experiences of these people, in addition to dealing with a topic as essential and relevant as bullying.
Candy words
A different story, full of tenderness, emotions and feeling. Within Anaya’s children’s and youth collection, we will meet Kori, a deaf boy who lives in a refugee camp in the Sahara.
Kori really likes going to school and her big dream is to learn to read and write and thus be able to express her feelings and emotions on paper. In the story we will also meet Caramelo, a tan camel who is very close to Kori. A fantastic story included in the CCEI Honor Roll in 2003.
