'Tis the Season for Friends!

It’s time for another book review by April! This year, among all the great art prints, jewelry, and other great items at our Holiday Art and Gift Show, we have one book for sale. Friends is a children's book written by Theron Parker and illustrated by Daniel Winship, two Deaf artists. In this delightful book, Theron uses minimal text, and Daniel uses expressive artwork to tell the story of two young boys, one Deaf and one hearing.

A sneak peek inside Theron Parker's Friends

This book is great for children of all ages to read for a variety of reasons. The rich illustrations are great for younger children who don't read yet. They can be described to the kids, and families can practice the sign language in the book together. Daniel's drawings of the signs are easy to follow, even for a beginner. Children a little bit older may be able to follow the written words, or look at the gestures to tell an adult what is going on in the book. If you look closely, you see that the little dog has his own visual storyline as the book progresses. These subtle details make the book great for reading multiple times. For reading level kids, they can focus on the words as they are written and signed, and the book can be a great conversation starter about communicating with people who may be different than you, or speak a different language.

The cover of Friends

Friends combines the simple and the complex in this short, but well-written book. I recommend it to anyone looking for a children's book that covers the topics of friendship and diversity. If you are interested in checking out this book, remember that our holiday show is still open for last-minute gift purchases. Next week, we will be here Monday-Wednesday, December 21-23, from 9:30am-5:00pm. So come visit us, bring your friends, and buy a copy of Friends for them!