When I was at our public library, I was searching my favorite spot—new releases. I came up with this book, “My Friend Has Down Syndrome,” by Amanda Doering Tourville. I was struck by its simplicity and clarity of information to share with a child who might be a typical peer to a child with Down Syndrome. Carmen has discovered a friendship with Sarah, a child with Down Syndrome. They share a love of good jokes and a hardy laugh, dance class, wearing glasses and drawing pictures. Bits of information are woven into the story to educate on looking a little different, being made fun of, needing extra help in school, having more medical complications, making others happy and aspiring to careers. Fact bubbles expand on these topics, sharing information in more depth—just enough for a child.
I discovered that this book is part of a Friends With Disabilities series that includes books on My Friend has ADHD, Autism, Down Syndrome, and Dyslexia.
This series would be a great resource for teachers to use with their classroom to discover some of the challenges and rewards of having a friend with a disability.
