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Woodpecker Girl

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Woodpecker Girl

Written by Chingyen Lin and I-Tsun Chiang

Illustrated by Heidi Doll

New York: Reycraft, 2020. Picture Book.


This story is about a little girl with cerebral palsy. She calls herself a woodpecker girl, even though she cannot fly around like a real woodpecker. The girl wants to bring happiness to the world. She wants to express her thoughts and feelings, though finds it hard to do so when she can't talk or even hold a pencil. Her art teacher came up with a plan--he attached a paint brush to her head with a headband. She nodded her head up and down to paint dots on the page. It's exhausting to paint this way at first, but then she discovers that through her art, she can fly!

This book beautifully illustrates the emotions of this girl who cannot speak or control her body. The colors and images clearly depict the good and the sad feelings she has while experiencing life from her wheelchair. It can be hard for children (and adults too!) to relate to people with disabilities and this book, based on the true story of Yipei Huang, allows readers to get in the head of this little girl who wants to bring happiness to the world.

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