David's World: A Picture Book about Living with Autism - Hardcover

Mueller, Dagmar H.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1616089628 ISBN 13: 9781616089627

Publisher: Sky Pony, 2012

Synopsis

“Sometimes I do not like David. He is so different. He speaks a different language. . . . David is my brother.” Thus begins a moving story about David, who has autism, and his older brother, who is trying to understand the world David inhabits. David does not like when people are noisy; he does not like being hugged—not even by his own brother. David does not laugh when happy or cry when sad. He speaks his own language, which is difficult to understand at times. And he eats the same foods almost every day. However, David is a brilliant pianist and seems to have an amazing ability to communicate with the family dog. And even though he is not like most children, through the eyes of his brother we are able to see how he makes progress toward understanding his world.

Dagmar H. Mueller’s moving text paired with Verena Ballhaus’s expressive art help bring to light the notion that there is a lot to learn about spending time with a child with autism. The book’s striking narration—told from the point of view of David’s brother—will help siblings and friends of autistic children better relate to them. This is a must for any home with children with autism and for classrooms that include mainstreamed special-needs kids.

About this title

About the Authors

Dagmar H. Mueller was born in 1961 in the Sauerland and grew up in Westphalia and Bavaria in the countryside. She attended high school and university in Hamburg. She has written twenty children’s books and a number of adult books. In 2006, she received the Children’s Book Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia for her picture book, The Invisible Noa.

Verena Ballhaus, born in 1951 in Lower Franconia, grew up in Munich, where she studied art. She has won a number of awards for her artwork, including the German Youth Literature Prize, the Austrian State Prize for Children’s Literature in the illustration category, and the Arts Foundation Award.

Reviews

An older brother describes his autistic sibling, explaining that David dislikes noises and being hugged, has difficulty expressing emotions, and speaks in a language that is often difficult for others to understand. However, David is also a brilliant pianist and demonstrates an uncanny ability to communicate with animals. And while David’s behaviors can often be disturbing to others, the narrator defends and celebrates those differences—the things that make David special. Translated from the German, Mueller’s simple text describes this disorder in behavioral terms that friends and siblings of others like David will certainly recognize. Although not all autistic children share David’s special talents, Mueller’s point—that every child has strengths and weaknesses—is well taken. Ballhaus’ colorful illustrations portray David dressed in brick clothing that serves both to separate and protect him from the world and his family. A sensitive but realistic introduction to autistic behaviors, this will be useful in classrooms that mainstream special-needs children or for students with autistic siblings. Grades K-3. --Kay Weisman

Edition details

• Publisher: Sky Pony
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1616089628
• ISBN 13: 9781616089627
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Ballhaus Verena
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 28