You Can!

This is a large format hard cover picture book. As a reader this reviewer felt that the narrative had two distinctive features. First the text is very sparse, serving mostly as a commentary on the numerous illustrations, sometimes seven or eight to the page. The second feature is that this deceptively simple book nevertheless manages to address some truly fundamental issues. Disability is a theme, though the word disability never appears in the text, instead foregrounded in the visual narrative. The whole intent of the book is put forward with strong self-confidence and positivity. It is perhaps a failing of the book that although dark moods associated with impairments are mentioned, there is no discussion of how such moods should be dealt with. The book also discusses different sexualities. Some teachers in primary schools might feel (contrary to this reviewer’s opinion) that such discussions are inappropriate for their young pupils.

The way in which this book was created is ground-breaking. It mobilised the collected opinions of children with disabilities.