Reviews

Children who are deaf learn to explore their world through their senses of touch and sight. Photographs show deaf children participating in school, text messaging their friends and watching television. Assistive devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants are shown to the reader as they would see them on these children. Simple sign language is illustrated, so that the reader can learn to say "I am your friend" to a deaf person. Multicultural images are used throughout the text. This series, called "Understanding Differences" includes four titles dealing with children who are blind, deaf, wear leg braces, and use wheelchairs. Short, manageable repeated text, generous font size, and clear illustrations make these titles the perfect teaching tools for the early reader. Capstone does an admirable job of providing additional resources, including their FactHound website, which pre-selects appropriate websites for further research, based on the Book ID that the reader types in. A glossary, an index, and reading suggestions make this an excellent choice for elementary library and classroom collections. The repetition of words and phrases helps young readers to learn new words, and subject specific words introduce vocabulary. The series has been keyed to the National Social Studies and Health curriculums-- "Children's Literature Comprehensive Database"