Picture Books for Disability Pride Month

Visual description: Covers of the six disability related books that are recommended below.

Hopefully one day, I’ll be able to recommend a book written by me for disability pride month! But in the meantime enjoy some of these other great books.

If you’re looking for a book specifically about the disability rights movement read: “All the Way to the Top” by Annette Bay Pimentel. This is the true story of Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins who participated in the Capitol Crawl as a child. The Capitol Crawl was one of the pivotal protests that led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

If you’re looking for a book to spark some good conversations with your kids read: “You’re So Amazing” or “What Happened to You?” by James & Lucy Catchpole. These books are based on the author’s childhood experiences and were an easy introduction to talking with my own kids about not making assumptions about people with disabilities, and that they aren’t entitled to know what happened to friends, neighbors, or strangers with disabilities.

If you’re looking for books that show people with disabilities enjoying everyday activities, read: “This is How We Play” or “This is How We Talk” both by Jessica Slice and Caroline Cupp. These books highlight that through adaptations people with disabilities still find plenty of ways to play, communicate, and connect. They help to take some of the mystery away from assistive devices and present it as part of everyday life.

If you’re looking for books that show characters with disabilities but where disability isn’t the focus (or even mentioned) in the story, read “A Little Like Magic” by Sarah Kurpiel. A sweet story of how a girl doesn’t enjoy going to the ice festival to watch the sculptors until she returns the next night to see what they’ve created. I wish there were more books like this on the market.