Books About Limb Differences!

I originally posted this list of books in 2010 and have received a lot of great feedback since then. I have updated it with some wonderful new books! Please let me know if there are any others I have missed.
Unfortunately some of these books are now hard to find. If anyone knows where to find available copies of "For the Love of Jody" please comment and let us know. I love hearing your feedback since we do not own ALL of these books. Which one is your family's favourite?
Thank you to the all the people who have commented as well as to the following resources for helping me compile this list:
"Resources to Help Children Understand Limb Loss", I-CAN Book Club and Limb Differences: Recommended Reading.

"Reading encourages children’s imaginations to grow, and opens their world to new people, places and possibilities. Reading books about difficult concepts, such as limb difference, is a safe and familiar way to introduce children to the topic.
These books can help a child with limb difference have greater self-esteem and identify with characters that “look like me” or are “different like me.” Children can find encouragement to talk about their limb difference openly and answer questions from friends. Some books even help explain how to be fitted for a prosthesis. They can also be useful for easing fears that children often have about upcoming medical procedures or recovery for themselves, their friends or an adult in their life.
While each of these books is different, a shared theme is that people with limb loss are still just people and have a lot in common with others.
Some adults with limb loss visit classrooms and libraries for story time to help children learn about living with a disability, and what it is like to be an amputee. This is an opportunity to teach acceptance and to reinforce the old adage that “different is not bad.” Books often get kids talking and asking questions."
- Molly Moore, NLLIC Librarian

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
"The Gift of Grace" - Grace Mary McClelland
Grace was born with little fingers and she was inspired to write this book by a bully when she was 5 years old. She wanted to help people understand about her "special hand". Grace has a wonderful message that we are all "wonderfully-made". Also talks about her surgery which involved removing bones from her toes to make fingers.
"Make a difference" Written by Ty and his mom, this book's goal is to raise awareness of children with limb anomalies and to celebrate everyone’s differences. A wonderful story about a little boy whose physical difference is not a disability but merely an outstanding characteristic. It teaches children that THEY can make a difference in the world, simply by treating others with respect and by simply giving a smile.
"The Tree With No Limbs" - Christine Marie Johnson
The little tree has no limbs but discovers he is loved and still able to produce fruit. This an eLIVE book, meaning each printed copy contains a special code redeemable for the free download of the audiobook version of the book.
"The Making of My Special Hand: Madison's Story" - Jamee Riggio Heelan This book recounts the making of a prosthesis for a girl who was born with one hand. Beginning with the visit to the hospital where Madison and her family learn about the different kinds of "helper hands," Heelan takes readers through the whole process.

"Harry and Willy and Carrothead" - Judith Caseley
Born without a left hand, Harry is just a regular kid. He enjoys the same games, and his matter-of-fact responses to other children's questions soon satisfy their curiosity. The emphasis is on the similiarity of the boys. Harry shows that he is capable and self-assured.
"Imagine...Amazing Me!" - Libbi Chilia
Photos of beautiful children from across the United States and Canada enjoying childhood activities despite their limb differences. Inspired by Libbi Chilia’s daughter Sami, who has a limb difference, this book is reflective, educational and inspiring.

"Oliver's High Five" - Beverly Swerdlow Brown
Oliver Octopus "only" has 5 arms but it doesn't bother him! Oliver journeys onto land to try to find a job but he is judged by how many arms he has and no one will hire him. Oliver never gives up and eventually proves that he doesn't need 8 arms to get the job done!


"Little Arm & Me" - Mutiya Vision
Kiomi is a very “handy” and “capable” girl born with a little arm. As she works to find her purpose in the world, her example helps others realize that her potential goes far beyond her physical limitations. Kiomi doesn’t let the world’s limited perception of her influence how she sees herself. As she overcomes challenges, she learns to find value in the masterpiece she was born to be. Since she was created to be in the spotlight, Kiomi decides to be an inspiration by living a life filled with love, courage, and accomplishment.
"My Brand New Leg" - Sharon Rae North
In this wonderfully illustrated book, the characters meet a girl who has a prosthetic leg and can do everything her friends can do. She gracefully shares her abilities with others and never once expresses a difference. As she encounters new activities, her friends see that she is no different.
"Boo-Boo's New Leg: A True Story of Illness, Acceptance, and Healing" - Mary Garcia Sarah tells the story of how her grown up friend is very sick. Her foot is bandaged and she can't get around without the help of a wheelchair and crutches. Her friend must go to the hospital to have her leg amputated. Although her life will be forever changed, she will inspire a positive way of thinking in those around her with the greatest gifts one can have- laughter and friendship.
"Burgess and Marie Bear" - Josie Horvath and Mary Hovancsek The tale of Burgess Bear shows how he navigates through life with a prosthetic leg, inspiring young children who might share the same obstacles to take on life’s challenges with the utmost enthusiasm. Burgess shows that despite what may happen to us, we can turn any situation into a great one.
"Zoompanszee and His Bionic Buddies" - Frank Horvath
Zoompanszee, an adorable little chimp was born without arms. He and his new friends are swept into a perilous adventure and in the process learn a lesson about the damage that can be done by hatred and anger, and ultimately, learn about the healing power of love and friendship.

"Different Is Not Bad, Different Is the World: A Book About Disabilities" - Sally L. Smith The purpose of this book is to help children realize that being "different" is OK; in fact, it makes people more interesting and the world is a better place. This book is intended to help children with differences feel better about themselves, as well as to help other children become more accepting of those different from them.


"Charlie: The Dog That Didn't Have a Paw" - Delaney and Ria Hurst
"Once upon a time there was a dog that didn't have a hand. The other dogs made fun of him. Then, he met a dog without a hand. They became best friends and lived happily ever after." After Delaney wrote that story her mom took her to Camp NO LIMITS to meet other children with limb differences. Then she encouraged her daughter to expand on her story until it became this wonderful book that sees beyond differences and includes some very unexpected animals!
"God Made Me Special, Just Like You!" - Nicki Olin
An inspiration story about a girl with limb differences. Using fun photos and rhyming it is appealing to children and a wonderful teaching tool. This book teaches that not all people are made the same on the outside, but on the inside we are the same. God made all of us special, be proud of who you are!

BOOKS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS

"Shared Experiences: The Experience of Having and Parenting Children with Upper Limb Deficiencies" - Charlotte Fielder
In 2006 Charlotte Fielder invited parents of children with arm and hand deficiencies to share their experiences of parenting. Parents responded with incredible honesty and a strong desire to inform new parents, health professionals, teachers and a much wider audience of what it’s like and how it feels. Having been born with a missing left hand, Charlotte has a natural understanding of the issues, and has been able to bring together the many and varied responses in a way which offers valuable insights into parenting visibly different children.
"Expectations: Parenting Children and Teens With Limb Differences" - A Publication of the Amputee Coalition of America
This is a FREE resource available through the ACA's website. It addresses a variety of topics of interest to parents, including adjustment issues, prosthetics, funding, peer support, advocacy, insurance reimbursement, technology, and prevention of secondary conditions. It also includes several useful resource lists and links to other youth organizations.
"For the Love of Jody: Insight for Parents of Children with Limb Differences" - Tamara Reyes-Muralles
Written by a parent of a child with a limb difference. She wrote this book because she was frustrated with the lack of info available. Tamara wants to let parents know they're not alone.



INSPIRATION

"Footnotes: A Life Without Limits" - Lena Maria Klingvall
Born without arms and with one fully formed leg, Lena is an inspiration. She refused "special" status, preferring instead to learn how to accomplish things her own way. Lena has not only learned to play keyboards and drive a car, but also to conduct a choir, develop a successful professional singing career and compete in the Paralympics.
"Jim Abbott: Against All Odds" - Ellen Emerson Wright

An awesome pitcher for the California Angels who has one hand. He has countless achievements in baseball, from Little League and high-school, through his years at the University of Michigan and his performance with Pan-American and Olympic teams, to the major leagues! There is a detailed explanation of how he catches and throws the ball, and comments from teammates and opposing players on how Jim has inspired them.

The Gift of Grace

I just found out about a wonderful children's book about limb differences called, "The Gift of Grace". Grace was told by a little boy at school that she must be stupid because she has a stupid little hand. She was upset because she knew that wasn't true and it inspired her to write this book when she was five years old.

You can read more about her story in this article, Bully Inspires Girl Missing Fingers to Write Book".

I love Grace's message that we are all "wonderfully-made". I instantly ordered a copy for Gavin and I can't wait for it to come so we can read it together!


The Gift of GRACE

by Grace Mary McClelland

Illustrated by Nancy Moskovitz



"Hello, my name is Grace. I wrote my story when I was five years old. In my book I tell that I was born with a special hand. The fingers on my right hand are smaller than the fingers on my left hand. And instead of five fingers, I have four.

A wonderful artist, Nancy Moskovitz, has painted pictures of me to tell my story. When I look at them, they take my breath away! I bet they will do that to you.

Each book will donate funds to the Hands-to-Love camp in North Florida. This camp was started by a hand surgeon - such as mine, who borrowed bones from my toes to make me fingers. And you can't really tell when you look at my toes...which by the way I love to polish!"

BUY "The Gift of Grace" by Grace Mary McClelland

Book Reviews

I would like to update the post I made last year called, BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS!!!. It has been over a year now and some I don't think are available now, unfortunately. There just doesn't seem to be a high demand for most of these and I have had a hard time finding them in book stores. I will do a bit more looking and see what I can find and then I will update the list.

I need your help! If you have read any of these books or any others that you recommend, please let me know! I would love to hear your reviews and suggestions! :)

Circle Time

This week I brought in a few books for Gavin's teacher to read to his class at circle time.

The 3 books we brought were:

"Imagine...Amazing Me!" by Libbi Chilia

I love this book because it has so many great pictures of kids with different limb differences. It shows the children doing all sorts of sports and activities, proving that there is nothing they can't do!




"Charlie: The Dog That Didn't Have a Paw" by Delaney and Ria Hurst

I love how this book was written by a young girl with a limb difference, with the help of her mom. Charlie the dog was born without a paw and throughout the story he meets more animals with other differences and finds out he is not alone.



I also brought "Its OK to be Different" by Todd Parr. This book has nothing to do with limb differences but it has big, bright, colourful pictures which are perfect for young children. And its message is clear: "Its OK to be different". A lot of the pages are pretty silly, like "Its OK to eat macaroni and cheese in the bath tub" but it still gets the point across.


I also included this hand out for the teacher from the CHAMP: Starting School kit.

How Are We All Different?
How Are We All The Same?
Following the presentation or as a follow-up activity later, it is valuable to discuss issues covered in the presentation with the children. The questions listed below are suitable to ask kindergarten children and to reinforce topics covered in the presentation.

- Explain to the class that everyone is different in some way. Ask the children to raise their hands if they:
- wear glasses
- have red hair
- have brown eyes

- Ask the class: If someone stares at you or teaches you (for instance because you have red hair) how does that make you feel? (Happy or sad)

- Ask the class to think of other ways in which we are all different? We don't like all the same things. Ask for examples of what the children like and dislike. (One child may like creepy crawly insects and another may not, one may like playing baseball and another may not).

- Explain that even though we are all different in many ways, and we like and dislike different things - we are all the same inside. Ask the class for examples of how we are all the same. (We all need friends, we all need to play, we all need our families, we all need to laugh and have fun).

I put everything together in a folder along with a colouring sheet of Andy for the teacher to photocopy for all the children to colour.

I followed up with her at the end of the day and she thanked me for bringing in the books. I asked if the kids were asking questions but she said, not really, but some of the kids made comments like, "Just like Gavin!" when she was reading the book. She said she used the example of an octopus having 8 arms and some people have 1 arm or 2 arms or 1 leg etc.

I am so grateful that she took the time to do that. She is really, really supportive and has already mastered the art of putting his prosthetic arm on.

Gavin is loving his new room and I am so happy!

H is for Halloween

"H" week was timed perfectly, because it just happened to fall on the week of HALLOWEEN!!

We got a few Halloween books from the library but the only one Gavin cared about was called "Jack-o-Lanterns". When it came time to carve the pumpkins we asked Gavin to choose his two favourite Jack-O-Lanterns from the book and then Grampa worked his pumpkin-carving magic.


The book had happy, sad, scary and funny faces and Gavin chose two of the funny ones. They turned out really cute!

We also went to "Boo at the Zoo" with Gramma, Grampa and Auntie. Gavin had so much fun seeing all the animals. The monkeys are definitely his favourite! We also saw a HYENA. Unfortunately the HIPPOS weren't out on display. But it was a very HAPPY day! :)


One of Gavin's current favourite books is "HUG" by Jez Alborough. Gavin loved the way Grampa read it and he couldn't get enough. He asked Grampa to read it to him over and over and over...


H is also for HENNA! On the day we went to the library they just happened to be having a celebration and one of the activities was Henna art. I have always thought Henna was really beautiful so I decided to get my HAND done.


It is supposed to last for about 2 weeks but with the amount of times I wash my hands in a day, it barely lasted a week!

G is for Gavin!

G is a pretty good letter. It stands for GAVIN! Also known as the GAVSTER or the GAVINATOR!

G is also for GARBAGE trucks, one of Gavin's favourite vehicles. I opted out of trying to arrange a tour of one of those, although I'm sure Gavin would have loved it! The smell is strong enough under regular circumstances and I can't imagine getting close to one with my pregnant sense of super smell! So instead, we stuck to reading, "I Am A Garbage Truck".

One of Gavin's other favourite books is the classic "GOODNIGHT MOON". He has a little board book that he has carried around so much that I had to tape the spine together. (That seems to be becoming a bit of a trend for his well-loved books. What can I say? He is a little rough.) He also has a bigger, paperback copy and he refers to them as "baby Goodnight Moon" and "big Goodnight Moon". He usually requests a specific one and if you can't find it, he does NOT accept the other one as a substitute.

G is also for GRANDPARENTS which Gavin is very blessed with. He has his beloved Lola & Lolo, and Gramma Joyce, and he was very lucky that Gramma & Grampa came down to visit for the weekend! And he even got a special package in the mail from G.G. (Great Gramma!) He is a very lucky boy!

"Incredible"

I took Gavin to the library today to return our overdue books and check out some new ones. While I was browsing through the children's section, Gavin was sitting at a table flipping through the pages of a book.

I wasn't really paying attention but I overheard two little girls trying to look at books with one hand and talking about how hard it was.

A few minutes later they timidly approached me. One was telling the other not to, but she said, "Its OK, she looks nice." Haha! At least I "look nice".

She shyly asked me if that was my son and what happened to his arm. I told her that he was born with one little arm.

She said, "That's really sad. But I think its incredible that he can look at the book like that with one hand!"

(Incredible?! Haha! Clearly the library has done wonders for this little girl's vocabulary!)

Anyways, I told her, "Its not really sad because it doesn't hurt and he can still do everything. He just has to do some things a bit differently. But it doesn't hold him back from anything. And he doesn't seem to mind."

That seemed to satisfy their curiosity. Kids are so hilarious.

(By the way, we ended up with the following books: "The Bus Stop", "School Bus", "Seals on the Bus", and "The Bus For Us". Sense a recurring theme???)

Imagine...Amazing Me!

We received our copy of "Imagine...Amazing Me!" by Libbi Chilia

This is a book that every child with a limb difference should have. Think of how it would feel to be a child with an amputation growing up in a world where everywhere you look, you see people with two arms, two hands, ten fingers, two legs, two feet...all their "parts". All the children in books, on TV, in the playground, at school...

Think how nice it would be to have a book full of beautiful pictures of kids JUST LIKE YOU! This book is full of bright, colourful pictures of REAL children showing off how they don't let their differences hold them back! From playing the piano to sports like soccer, baseball and even ballet, these children prove that there is nothing they can't do!!

My personal favourites are of a little girl named Megan who is a LBE (left below elbow) like Gavin. I especially love the picture of her tying her shoe because I have often wondered how Gavin will do with learning that skill. I have seen a video of someone using their other foot to hold the lace while they tie it with one hand. But Megan uses her right hand and left arm to do it.

There is also a picture of her playing cards and she is holding her cards in her left arm and they are all perfectly spread out. I know there are special devices to help amputees hold a hand of cards but who needs those when you're as resourceful as Megan?! I love how they always figure things out!

And if you're not convinced to buy it yet, let me point out that the money made from the sales of this book will be donated to organizations that support children with limb differences including the ACA Camp and I-CAN!

This book is an excellent resource but if your child doesn't know any other children with a similar limb difference, I REALLY recommend finding a support group that can help you connect with another family in your area. Canadian families can access the Matching Mothers program through CHAMP.

My only constructive criticism for this book is that each picture is labeled with the child's name, age and city...but Gabriel's picture simply says "Gabriel, age 4, Canada". Where in Canada? It is a pretty big place you know! ;)