Perfect and See What I Can Do! featured in Free To Be Me
We're delighted to share that Perfect, by Nicola Davies and Cathy Fisher, and See What I Can Do! by Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding, has been featured in Free To Be Me, a themed reading guide highlighting books that celebrate diversity, representation and inclusion for children and young people aged 0–18 by Children's Books Ireland. Find out more below:
Perfect is a story of anticipation, disappointment, acceptance and, ultimately, love. Written by award-winning children’s author Nicola Davies, it tells the story of a young boy learning to accept his baby sister as being perfect in every way in spite of her disability. Suffused with natural imagery, Perfect is an ideal way to open up the subject of disability with children, as well as being a great story in its own right. Beautifully illustrated by Cathy Fisher, Perfect is a truly remarkable book guaranteed to bring a lump to the throat.
What readers are saying:
‘Perfect is a powerful picture book which deserves to be pressed into the hands of many – it celebrates diversity and unconditional sibling love in a wonderful manner.’ – Emma, My Book Corner
What they say about Perfect: "A rare and wonderful picture book that tells the story of a young boy coming toterms with the arrival of a baby sister with special needs. His sister’s condition is notexplained or diagnosed and the journey from sadness at unfulfilled expectations toacceptance and hope is portrayed with subtlety and artistry. Perfect is an ideal way toopen up the subject of disability with children, as well as being a great story in its ownright."
The second book they have featured published by us at Graffeg is See What I Can Do! by Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding.
"Every child is different. Some are loud, they love talking and showing off. Others are quiet and like to be on their own. Some have disabilities that you can see, while others have disabilities that may not be so obvious. We are all unique. We all have our own lives, our own dreams, and our own talents. Let’s see what we can do."
In this gently-told but immensely informative new picture book Jon Roberts tells the stories of a number of children with a variety of disabilities inspired by the real-life experiences of his daughter, Kya who is on the autistic spectrum, and some of her friends.
A variety of conditions, including autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD, Down's Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy
and asthma are introduced for young readers, discussing
how the challenges of each affect children both in a school setting and outside and how they engage in activities they love.
What they say about See What I Can Do!: "Celebrating diversity positively, this book really ‘sees’ the children’s experiences with different abilities in a creative way. Rounding’s illustrations are vibrant, colourful and full of movement as they draw you into the children’s lives. The stories are brimming with confidence and recognition of their ‘everyday’ with friends and family. ‘If I could tell my story …’ is echoed throughout to start the conversation of positive awareness from home to the classroom and playground and beyond, creating an interconnecting picture of diversity that impacts all our lives."
The aim of this collection of truly excellent books is to help facilitate conversations and develop young people’s values, attitudes and knowledge – better equipping them to fully participate in, mould and build a more equitable society – ensuring that all children and their families feel welcomed, valued, celebrated and respected. By supporting our youngest citizens in this mission, we hope to enable tangible long term benefits for society that engender a more equitable future. Every child has the right to be free to be themselves.
Click on the image below to find out more about the other books included :
