Ducks teaching disability?

Lemon the Duck by Laura Backman

Lemon the duck in real life!

                Lemon the Duck is a children’s picture book  based on a real-life story of Lemon. This book takes a new angle toward disability education from some of the other books I have evaluated. The book opens in a children’s classroom, where the duck hatchery is beginning to hatch baby ducks. However, the students soon notice one duckling was different than the others. Lemon, the special duck was named for her fluffy yellow feathers. The children ask their teacher why Lemon does not stand the way the other ducks. As the other ducks began to grow, Lemon still could not stand or walk. Lemon has a problem with her balance, and as a result she will always need special attention. When the other ducklings go to live on a farm, Lemon stays with the students. The children pay close attention to Lemon, by feeding her, and helping her to swim. Still wanting to help Lemon walk, the students try to come up with ways they can help her. Eventually, one student named Richard finds a way to help Lemon stand. The students use a life vest to hold Lemon up so she can stand. Soon, Lemon is able to do everything just like all the other ducks, just with a little extra help.

                Disability is portrayed very differently in this book. Instead of seeing a main character who is human, we see a duck who is a class pet with the disability. This new way helps students see disability in a new way. The student’s desire to help Lemon and to care for her is inspiring. The students learn Lemon can be just like any other duck. The lesson of this story is important because disability is being introduced in a very neutral and loving way. Instead of pinning a disability to a person, it is connected to an animal. I believe this can help children to understand disabilities because the care shown for Lemon is applicable to humans. This book is a great read-aloud text. The illustrations are adorable and engaging. The positive ending will leave young readers and listeners smiling. Check out this article about real life Lemon!

Just like everyone else: Down syndrome

We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen

                This picture book is about a 6 year old girl who is about to get a new baby brother or sister. At first, she is not too keen on getting a new sibling. She is speaking to her father, asking if she can do different things with the baby. Some of these things are, feeding cows, kicking soccer balls, painting an octopus, visiting their Aunt Wendy, and even going on an African safari. However, when the baby comes, she learns it is a baby boy names Isaac. Isaac, as her dad says, has Down syndrome. The young girl is positive this disability will prevent her from doing all the fun things she wanted to do with her new brother. However, as she goes through and asks her dad if Isaac can still do everything, she ends up asking "If Isaac has this Down thing, then what can't he do?” To her surprise and excitement, her father tells him there is nothing Isaac cannot do, he may simply need help, patience, and a little more time.

                This book is a great tool for helping parents talk to their children about Down syndrome. Likewise, it can also help young readers learn that children with Down syndrome are in fact no different than anyone else. However, this book does not educate readers on any other aspects of Down syndrome, outside of the fact that they can do everything the same as anyone else. While this book is a picture book and very brief, I would have liked to see the young girl ask more questions about her baby brother’s disability. Outside of that, I believe this book did a great job of breaking the barriers of normalcy when it comes to Down syndrome.

                I would recommend this book for young readers, as the reading level is a little higher than what one may expect from a picture book. I believe this book has educational merit, and would be a great addition to an at-home or classroom library. Check out this blog written by Jennie and Mark who have a son with Down syndrome. In this post, Jennie tells her experience reading this book aloud to her son's kindergarten class, and a fun activity they did afterwards!