Catherine's Story

Gr 1—3—Catherine, who wears leg braces, has a special walk and a special way of clapping her hands (so quietly, no one ever hears them). Her cousin Frances thinks she can walk like Catherine but when she tries, she falls over. When she says that Catherine can't talk, Catherine's dad says, "lots and lots of people talk....too much....Catherine listens—really, really hard." Catherine is loved and valued. Her father seems to be a single parent with some involvement from a grandmother.The lovely watercolor illustrations capture joy and optimism. With subtlety and grace, they perfectly depict a child with disabilities. It is challenging to present such issues without seeming maudlin, and Moore has done this fairly well. However, in an effort to present some differences as positive abilities, there is sometimes an unrealistic overstatement of the importance of these traits. That said, this picture book is useful because of its value in generating needed discussion. An even better depiction of disabilities is Jane Cowen-Fletcher's Mama Zooms (Scholastic, 1996).—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME