3rd December International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD)

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is held on 3rd December each year.  The UN give it a theme, which this year  is ‘Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world’.

School with students has finished for me this year, but this is a day well worth sharing with classes and picture books. Many disabilities have a day of their own, but here is a smattering of books worthy of a display in your school library. I have listed books that are in my library, but you will find others, I'm sure.

Books with a focus on children who have mobility difficulties or wheelchairs.

• What Happened to You?  by James Catchpole & Karen George

• Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari & Patrice Barton

• Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis & Tony Ross

• I Will Dance by Nancy Bo Flood & Julianna Swaney         

• Woodpecker Girl  by I-Tsun Chiang & Chingyen Liu  

• King For a Day  by Rukhsana Khan & Christiane Kroemer 

• Seal Surfer  by Michael Foreman 

• Arabella  by Wendy Orr & Kim Gamble (OOP but probably in the school library)

• All the Way to the Top  by Annette Bay Pimental & Nabi H. Ali (a biographical episode from the life of Jennifer Keelan)

Books with a focus on children who are dealing with sight issues 

• The Patch  by Justina Chen Headley & Mitch Vane

• Lucy's Picture by Nicola Moon & Alex Ayliffe (OOP Lucy's grandfather is blind)

• The Black Book of Colours  by  Menena Cottin & Rosana Faria 

• Six Dots:  A Story of a Young Louis Braille  by Jen Bryant & Boris Kulikov

• Annie and Helen by Deborah Hopkinson & Raul Colon

• Helen's Big World by Doreen Rappaport & Matt Tavares 

• Yuko-Chan and the Daruma Doll  by Sunny Seki

• Looking Out for Sarah  by Glenna Lang

Books with a focus on children dealing with deafness

• Can Bears Ski?  by Raymond Antrobus & Polly Dunbar

• Freddie and the Fairy by Julia Donaldson & Karen George 

• Hands and Hearts  by Donna Jo Napoli & Amy Bates

•  Moses Goes to a Concert  by Isaac Millman

• The Boy in the Jam Jar  by Joyce Dunbar & John Shelley

• Boy by Phil Cummings & Shane deVries

• The Race by Christobel Mattingley (OOP but probably in the school library)

Of course there are other disabilities, but this is a good start and enough for a display!

 

20th November Matisse: Life & Spirit, Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou

The Art Gallery of NSW is holding an exhibition of art by Henri Matisse from 20th November until March and it will be something truly special! In preparation I have taken all the books about this French artist off the library shelves in order to start next year with a display celebrating his life and work. Many of the teachers at school focus on his work in art lessons during the year, but given that some students will visit the gallery in their school holidays and some others might be inspired to go in Term 1 after reading about him, a display in the library is warranted. We have over thirty books  about his work so it will look good. We can cater for the preschooler, the artist and the readers! Here is some of what will be in the display:

Blue and Other Colours with Henri Matisse

A Magical Day with Matisse by Julie Merberg & Suzanne Bober

   Oooh! Matisse by Jean-Yves Verdu & Mil Niepold    

         
Matisse's Magical Trail by Tim Hopgood & Sam Broughton

How the Snail Found its Colours by Haneul Ddang & Mi-Ran Yang

Henri's Scissors by Jeannette Winter

Matisse King of Colour by Laurence Anholt

Henri Matisse: Cutting with Scissors by Jane O'Connor & Jessie Hartland

Cut-Out Fun with Matisse by Nina Hollein & Max Hollein

Colourful Dreamer: The Story of Artist Henri Matisse by Marjorie Blain Parker & Holly Berry

Matisse's Garden by Samantha Friedman & Cristina Amodeo

The Mermaid and the Parakeet by Veronique Massenot & Vanessa Hie

Two picture books to read:

A Bird or Two by Bijou Le Tord

When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden

and the piece de resistance

The Iridescence of Birds by Patricia MacLachlan & Hadley Hooper

For lunchtime cut and paste sessions a la Matisse which I will do with the students who choose to be in the library at lunchtime, inspiration will come from

The Swimmers by Ana Bianchi