Heidi, the Swiss classic, is one of the bestselling books of all time. This new picture book version tells about Heidi and her grandfather living in the Alps, Heidi’s difficult move to Frankfurt to live with wheelchair-bound Clara, and Heidi’s return home to the mountains and her grandfather, complete with Clara’s recovery. Thirty bold, handcrafted paper-cut and digital collage illustrations capture Heidi’s heartwarming story, which is as relevant today as ever. mjw |
| Title: Heidi Author: Johanna Spyri (1827-1901), Carole Aufranc Illustrator: Carole Aufranc Publisher: Bergli Books, an imprint of Helvetiq Sarl. Basel, Switzerland Copyright: 1880, 2023 Original Language: German in 1880, French in 2023 Translator: Anika K. Clausen Original Title: Heidi Original Copyright: 1880 ISBN: 978-3-0369-151-8 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 4 up Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Switzerland, Germany Author’s ethnicity: Swiss Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swiss Illustrator’s residence: Switzerland Subjects: Alps, Domestic fiction, Germany, Goats, Grandfathers, Mountains, Orphans, Switzerland |
Tag Archives: Disabilities
A Head Full Of Birds
Nanette spends her time looking at paper birds, puddles, spider webs, and what she can make with her hands. At school, the kids mock her and are mean to her. Noah is a boy in her class who likes to fly paper airplanes. At first, he finds Nanette confusing. He even gets angry at her. After school, Noah sees Nanette dropping paper boats into the gutter and watching them float along. He thinks they are pretty. Noah and Nanette become friends and see the beauty of the world in their minds together. Illustrated in pastel colors with colored pencils, the story is a thoughtful, positive portrayal of neurodiverse friendships. mjw |
| Title: A Head Full Of Birds Author: Alexandra Garibal Illustrator: Sibylle Delacroix Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2022 Original Language: French Translator: Vineet Lal Original Title: Des oiseaux plein la tete Original Publisher: Editions Kaleidoscope, an imprint of l’ecole des loisirs Original Copyright: 2021 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5596-1 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: Belgian, French Illustrator’s residence: France Subjects: ADHD, Autism, Birds, Creativity, Differences, Disabilities, Neurodivergence, Origami, Paper airplanes, Peer pressure |
Duck’s Backyard
A duck with a limp and a blind chicken embark on an adventure. The duck will guide the chicken and the chicken will support the duck’s wonky leg. They search for a place where their most secret wishes will come true. They encounter a wild forest, a deep canyon, the highest mountain, and they experience many differences of opinion along the way. Their final destination is a hilarious surprise. The book’s philosophical tone and sophisticated vocabulary make the book ideal for a range of readers. Full-color illustrations with bold, dynamic lines and brush strokes are included. mjw |
| Title: Duck’s Backyard Author: Ulrich Hub Illustrator: Jorg Muhle Publisher: Gecko Press, New Zealand Copyright: 2022 Original Language: German Translator: Helena Kirkby Original Title: Lahme Ente, blindes Huhn Original Publisher: Carlsen Verlag GmgH. Hamburg, Germany Original Copyright: 2021 ISBN: 978-1-776574-735 Hardcover pages: 96 Age range: 7-11 Genre: Fiction, Illustrated Chapter Book, Novel Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Berlin Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Frankfurt Awards: 2022 White Raven Award Subjects: Birds, Blindness, Differences, Disabilities, Friendships, Humor, Leadership |
Oscar Lives Next Door: A Story Inspired By Oscar Peterson’s Childhood
In the 1930s, young Oscar Peterson plays the trumpet in his neighborhood of St. Henri in Montreal, where the city’s Black working class lives. He’s a magician with his trumpet as he blows notes on his favorite instrument. However, he becomes very sick with tuberculosis, and his lungs weaken. He refuses to talk while he is in the hospital. His neighbor Millie writes to him and encourages him to talk. When he returns home from the hospital, he plays on the piano the music that he hears in everything. His father hires a piano teacher, and Oscar practices and practices and eventually becomes an international jazz piano sensation. The lively digital illustrations enhance the engaging story. An author’s note provides information about Oscar’s neighborhood in Montreal and a short biography of the legendary jazz pianist. mjw |
| Title: Oscar Lives Next Door: A Story Inspired By Oscar Peterson’s Childhood Author: Bonnie Farmer Illustrator: Marie Lafrance Publisher: Owlkids Books, Inc. Toronto, Ontario Copyright: 2023 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1771475969 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture book, Biography Book setting: Montreal, Quebec. Canada Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Montreal, Quebec Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Quebec Subjects: Biographical fiction, Canada, Jazz, Music, Performing arts, Piano, Selective mutism, Trumpet, Tuberculosis |
It’s So Difficult
A child leaves the house and everything is so difficult. The school day is overwhelming. Counting things or calculating relaxes him. His mother tells him not to rush, that someday words will happen. But the noise makes everything so difficult. The book was inspired by the author’s experiences as a secondary school teacher in Spain. Interesting line illustrations created with collage, pencil, gouache, and digital media enrich this look at anxiety and overstimulation. mjw |
| Title: It’s So Difficult Author: Raul Nieto Guridi Illustrator: Raul Nieto Guridi Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2022 Original Language: Spanish Translator: Lawrence Schimel Original Title: Lo Dificil Original Publisher: Tres Tigres Tristes Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5584-8 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Spanish Author’s residence: Spain Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish Illustrator’s residence: Spain Subjects: Anxiety, Math, Overstimulation, Special needs |
Fly
Fourteen-year-old Felix Landon Yarrow – F.L.Y., or Fly has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. He carries around his father’s worn copy of Don Quixote to prove that there is a brain inside his uncooperative body. His first-person narrative in engaging free verse tells of his fascination with knighthood and chivalry. He fears that Carter, the school villain, is a danger to his crush/damsel in distress, Daria. Using his cleverness and invisibility – his superpower – he constructs a plan to save Daria. Fly is a courageous, kind, and funny character on a “quest/ for a noble life.” mjw |
| Title: Fly Author: Alison Hughes Publisher: Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto Copyright: 2022 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1525-305-832 Hardcover pages: 197 Age range: 10-14 Genre: Fiction, Novel in verse Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Edmonton, Alberta Subjects: Cerebral palsy, Courage, Don Quixote, Free verse, Poetry, Wheelchairs |
The Words In My Hands
The art journal of Deaf sixteen-year-old Piper, set in near-future Melbourne, Australia, is part coming of age story and part call to action. Piper is smart, artistic, and rebellious. Deaf since the age of three, she is told by her mother that she needs to conform, compensate and appear normal. She meets Marley, a CODA (child of a deaf parent), and a whole new world opens up for her. This is a time of food scarcity, environmental collapse, and political corruption. Piper is determined to build a sustainable food garden and communicate with her mom, friends, and community like she never has before. Back matter in this amazing book includes information on the Deaf community and various forms of sign language and ideas for journaling. mjw |
| Title: The Words In My Hands Author: Asphyxia Illustrator: Asphyxia Publisher: Annick Press Copyright: 2021 Original Language: English Original Title: Future Girl In Australia Original Publisher: Allen & Unwin, Australia Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-1773215280 Hardcover pages: 388 Age range: 13-16 Genre: Fiction, Novel Book setting: Australia Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Australia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Australian Illustrator’s residence: Australia Awards: 2022 ALA Schneider Family Book Award for Teens, 2021 Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book of the Year for Older Readers 2021 White Raven Subjects: Activism, Auslan, Coming of age, Creativity, Deafness, Dystopian, Finger-spelling, Future, Gardens, Problem solving, Sign language, Special needs, Sustainability |
A Kind Of Spark
Eleven-year-old Addie is autistic, headstrong, and smart. She thinks differently from the people around her. She is on a campaign to have a plaque erected in her Scottish hometown in memory of the victims of the witch trials which happened there hundreds of years ago. She understands what it is like to be treated as an outcast for being different. The author is neurodivergent, too, and she insightfully tells about what it is like to be an autistic girl. She believably portrays Addie’s struggles and her beautiful friendship with a girl who is understanding and supportive. mjw |
| Title: A Kind Of Spark Author: Elle McNicoll Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2020 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-593-37425-2 Hardcover pages: 192 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction, Novel Book setting: Scotland Author’s ethnicity: Scottish Author’s residence: London Awards: 2022 ALA Schneider Family Book Award – Middle Grade Honor Subjects: Autism, Bullies, Disabilities, Neurodivergency, Sharks, Teachers, Witch trials |

Heidi, the Swiss classic, is one of the bestselling books of all time. This new picture book version tells about Heidi and her grandfather living in the Alps, Heidi’s difficult move to Frankfurt to live with wheelchair-bound Clara, and Heidi’s return home to the mountains and her grandfather, complete with Clara’s recovery. Thirty bold, handcrafted paper-cut and digital collage illustrations capture Heidi’s heartwarming story, which is as relevant today as ever. mjw
A duck with a limp and a blind chicken embark on an adventure. The duck will guide the chicken and the chicken will support the duck’s wonky leg. They search for a place where their most secret wishes will come true. They encounter a wild forest, a deep canyon, the highest mountain, and they experience many differences of opinion along the way. Their final destination is a hilarious surprise. The book’s philosophical tone and sophisticated vocabulary make the book ideal for a range of readers. Full-color illustrations with bold, dynamic lines and brush strokes are included. mjw

Eleven-year-old Addie is autistic, headstrong, and smart. She thinks differently from the people around her. She is on a campaign to have a plaque erected in her Scottish hometown in memory of the victims of the witch trials which happened there hundreds of years ago. She understands what it is like to be treated as an outcast for being different. The author is neurodivergent, too, and she insightfully tells about what it is like to be an autistic girl. She believably portrays Addie’s struggles and her beautiful friendship with a girl who is understanding and supportive


