A World of Knowing: A Story about Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (Creative Minds Biographies) - Softcover

Bowen, Andy Russell

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0876149549 ISBN 13: 9780876149546

Publisher: LernerClassroom, 1995

Synopsis

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet had a sharp mind and a great determination to make a difference in the world. When Thomas met Alice Cogswell, a little girl who was deaf, he decided to go to Europe to study deaf education and became a teacher. The signs he learned developed into American Sign Language and helped his students to leave their isolation behind.

About this title

About the Author:

Author of a number of Creative Minds Biographies.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-5?In a straightforward, approachable format, Bowen presents the life of Thomas Gallaudet and his impact on education for the Deaf. Considering the myriad factors that intersected his life?the development of American Sign Language, cultural misconceptions about the Deaf, and the politics of Deaf education, to mention a few?the survey is evenhanded and reasonably thorough. The somewhat prescribed format of series biographies and the age of the target audience preclude an in-depth examination of some complex or troubling areas of Deaf history, but to her credit, Bowen does manage to handle some of these areas. She briefly mentions some of the bizarre and frequently painful medical approaches to Deafness during Gallaudet's time, and touches upon misnomers such as "Deaf and Dumb," or Deaf-Mute. The author clearly captures her subject's respected status in the Deaf community as well as his earnest, likable personality. Unfortunately, Wadsworth's illustrations of people signing feature frozen, meaningless gestures. The effect is somewhat jarring, as is a reference to an appended chart of the ASL alphabet as "finger signing" when it is more commonly referred to as fingerspelling. Despite these details, Bowen's offering is a solid contribution to the subject and a readable introduction to Gallaudet's life.?Jennifer Fleming, Boston Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: LernerClassroom
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0876149549
• ISBN 13: 9780876149546
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Wadsworth Elaine