I spent a lot of time watching the Olympics this year. The individual athletes, the collective teamwork, and great sportsmanship were all very refreshing to see and experience. I was feeling melancholy at the end of the closing ceremonies. Then, I was reminded about the Paralympics coming up at the end of August. If you enjoyed the Olympics, but don't know a lot about the Paralympics, or you do know about them and are excited to watch, you may also enjoy these books.
Written by Igor Plohl
Illustrated by Urska Stropnik Sonc
New York: Holiday House, 2020. Picture Book.
This book is written by an author who suffered an accident that left him disabled. This picture book has great explanations written for anyone to understand more about how the Paralympics function. I loved the animals in the illustrations and the positive messages shared throughout.
Written by Patty Cisneros Prevo
Illustrated by Dion MBD
New York: Lee & Low Books Inc., 2023. Informational.
The author of this book is a Paralympic gold medalist. In the book, the author highlights different athletes. I enjoyed learning about each one, and my favorite part was definitely the "daily challenges" and "daily joys" listed for each athlete. It felt like little mini biographies for each of them. There is a great list of resources at the end of the book for people who would like to explore more, a glossary of useful terms, and a timeline of the Paralympics.
Written by Francesca Cavallo
Illustrated by Luis San Vicente
Canada: Undercats, Inc. 2021. Biography.
This moving story begins with a young baby being dropped at the doorstep of an orphanage in Russia. As the baby grew, she discovered she couldn’t walk on her feet, but instead walked on her hands. This was because she had spina bifida. Eventually, Tatyana is adopted and moves to America. Due to needing to use her arms so much, she is a very strong baby, child, and young woman! This is a beautiful story, focusing on the fact that athletes (and others) can improvise and use their strengths to succeed in non-traditional ways.
Written by Francesca Cavallo
Illustrated by Kezna Dalz
Canada: Undercats, Inc. 2022. Biography.
A young boy who loves playing with his friends in Africa, has his world disrupted when war breaks out. He survives the war, while having to cope with the loss of his mother, and the amputation of a leg. Eventually adopted by a French family, he is also the recipient of a prosthetic leg. He loved to run and play sports with his new leg, but didn’t want the other children to make fun of him so he would always wear long pants and shoes. He felt comfortable enough telling a PE teacher about his prosthetic leg, which led to a discussion about getting a running blade. The beauty of this book is found in not just the physical success Jean-Baptiste experiences, but also the peace he obtains through participating in sports.
By Chris Hawkes
New York: DK Publishing, 2020. Informational. 224 pages.
This encyclopedia has only a small entry specifically about the Paralympics, but very detailed information about specific sports. Each entry contains a “fact file,” which tells the type of sport, number of players involved, and any equipment needed. The book also has a section which highlights individual athletes and their accomplishments. The combination of infographics and photography keeps this lengthy informational book interesting.
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