THIS LITTLE WONDER

A peek at contemporary and historical figures with disabilities.

Holub introduces young readers to 10 racially diverse people, deeming each a “little wonder.” Subjects’ disabilities include limb difference, blindness, and Down syndrome; individuals covered have flourished in fields such as music, sports, and law. On each spread, a singsong rhyme notes the subject’s accomplishment on the verso. On the recto, two sentences provide further background, accompanied by a friendly, bobble-headed caricature. An entry on American scientist Temple Grandin notes, “This little wonder / helps us to understand / the behavior of animals / raised on farmland”; on the facing page, a smiling Grandin pats a cow as the text explains that her “sensitivity to sound and touch due to autism has helped her suggest better ways of treating animals.” Other subjects include Irish author and artist Christy Brown, who had cerebral palsy and used his toes to write and paint, and Indian American musician Sujeet Desai, the first person with Down syndrome to perform at Carnegie Hall. Illustrated with cartoon headshots, condensed nods to 15 additional figures include enslaved American abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who had epilepsy, and Chinese Paralympic wheelchair fencer Alison Yu Chui Yee. Unfortunately, the author’s characterization of successful disabled people as “wonders” suggests that their achievements are surprising, casting a patronizing pall over the ensemble. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A well-meaning effort spoiled by problematic framing.