Ian: Mirar más allá

Gr 1-3–A picture book version of Ian: Una historia que nos movilizará, an animated short film produced by Juan José Campanella. Ian, who uses a wheelchair, wishes that he could play in the park with all of the other children. But when he tries to play, he sees a barrier form between them and feels like he is going to disappear. It is physically difficult for him to play with the others because of his cerebral palsy, but he is determined. Some days, he falls. Other days, the kids on the playground laugh at him. Right before Ian feels like he is going to disappear, the children notice him struggling and rise up to help him. Suddenly, the barriers disintegrate. This is a poignant story from the perspective of a child with a disability that will have kids rooting for Ian and wanting to reach into the page and play with him themselves. The touching narrative is accompanied by the bright, animated stills from the film, giving the illustrations a video game quality that will pique kids’ interest. Graschinsky based this on her experiences with her son Ian, who also has cerebral palsy.