Ask Constance Reader: Kids books about Down Syndrome

Hi Constance,

I found your blog by googling Kelle Hampton [whose daughter Nella, 2, has Down Syndrome]. I am looking for information on Down Syndrome because my nephew will be born with DS in April. He has a 4 y.o. sister and after reading your blog I wonder if there are books about DS that you can recommend for a child that age so she can prepare for what to expect?

Thanks, Maeryn


I get messages a couple of times a week asking for book recommendations, and I usually respond to them via email. But I really wanted to post my answer to Maeryn here at the blog (after checking with her that it was OK, of course). Books can be one of the best ways to introduce a child to a difficult topic in a clear and gentle way and there really don't seem to be very many on this topic, in particular.

And as it turns out, I can answer this question, at least a little bit. Years ago, when I was in college, I worked as a Book Specialist at Zany Brainy, the now-defunct toy store, and we had a mother come in looking for a book on this very subject for this very reason. We went online and hunted the book down and ordered it for her, and she visited us a few months later to tell us how much her older child was enjoying it. I never forgot her, and I never forgot the book, which was We'll Paint the Octopus Red, written by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen and illustrated by Pam Devito.


The book opens with six-year-old Emma looking forward to the birth of her baby brother Isaac, who will be born with Down Syndrome. As Emma's father explains to her what that means, Emma wonders what Isaac won't be able to do because of his disability. Her father thinks and answers, "Nothing," as long as they are patient with him and help him when he needs it. At the end of the book, there is a list of questions that children commonly ask about about DS. A sequel, The Best Worst Brother, which follows Emma and Isaac through his toddlerhood, was published a few years later.

Last year, while shopping for books for Lu, I came across My Friend Isabelle by Eliza Woloson, told from the perspective of Charlie, who is friends with Isabelle, who has Down Syndrome. Charlie understands that there are things that Isabelle does differently from him, but in the end, that there is nothing Isabelle can't do. (I bought a copy for Lulu's library at home.)


An online search also turns up a series I haven't read but that looks adorable about the day in the life of Russ, a five-year-old boy with Down Syndrome. Russ plays in the yard, visits a firehouse, interacts with his classmates, and handles difficult situations. Readers can see that Russ has Down Syndrome, but there's no mention of DS in the text, which highlights the theme of the story: that Russ has the same fun and the same challenges as any other kid his age.

So that's what I can offer; for further info, I'll turn to you, readers. Are there any books on this subject that you can recommend to Maeryn?

(And if you have a book-related question of your own, feel free to email me at constance.reader@gmail.com, as always.)