Even though I write often about parenting from a social justice perspective, I realized there’s a major gap in my writing. I’ve done very little work thinking about disability rights and how kids can unlearn ableism.
If you’re new to the term ableism, its all the beliefs, behaviors, and laws in our society that devalue and discriminate against people with disabilities.
Following the fantastic blog Raising Luminaries: Books for Littles, written by Ashia Ray, who is autistic, got me thinking more about how ableism impacts children (both those with a disability and those without.) So did enrolling our kiddo in a new school, one that has a higher than average number of students with disabilities.
I’m starting my learning with my child where I almost always start with a justice issue: reading books together.
In this post you’ll find 21 children’s books about disability or that star disabled characters. You’ll see that I generally don’t use “person first language” in this post. You can find an explanation of this choice here.
Disclosure: For your convenience, this post includes affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I received a complimentary copy of Together Things from the publisher in exchange for my honest review; all opinions are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Children’s books about disability (fiction picture books)
Mama Zooms by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
A joyful toddler tells us all about how their Mama uses her “zooming machine” to zoom them everywhere. In her wheelchair, they can zoom across the lawn, with the child pretending to be a racehorse. The best place for zooming is ramps, where both Mama and child can put their arms out and feel like they’re flying.
There are very few children’s books about disabled parents. This book, based on the life of the author’s sister, challenges stereotypes about disability by showing Mama as doing the same fun things with her child than a non-disabled parent would do, with her wheelchair only adding to the joy they experience together. (Recommended for ages 2 – 5)
Related Post: 12 body positive books that celebrate plus size characters
Just Ask: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor and Rafael López
Just Ask is one of the most popular children’s books about disability, both because of its Supreme Court Justice author, and because it gives examples of so many disabilities.
Judge Sotomayor shares how she has lived with diabetes since childhood, and while she knew other children were curious about why she gave herself insulin shots, they never asked.
Each page introduces a new character, who shares about their disability, followed by a question non-disabled kids can relate to. For example, Madison, who is blind, asks readers how they use their senses.
One thing that disappointed me about the book is that Sotomayor never uses the word disabled or disability. Many disabled people (though certainly not all) will tell you that their disability is an important part of their identity that want acknowledged. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Diabetic author.)
Related post: Best books about race and racism for kids and teens
Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman
One of the ways we can challenge ableism is by thinking about how disabled kids can take part in experiences non-disabled children do, when we make proper accommodations. This children’s book about disability is an excellent example of that!
Moses loves playing on his drum. Though he can’t hear the sound because he is deaf, he can feel the vibration of the drum on his hand. He’s excited to go to a concert with his classmates, who are all deaf as well. Their teacher promises there will be a big surprise, and they can’t wait to find out what it is!
The book also includes American Sign Language at the bottom of each page, with Moses teaching key words and phrases from the story. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)
Related post: 14 anti-bias books for preschool and kindergarten
Together Things by Michelle Vasiliu and Gwynneth Jones
Most children’s books about disability focus on disabilities that are visible. There are few children’s books about mental illness, but this simple story helps fill that gap. First, we learn about all the things a little girl loved to do with her father, from flying high in the swings to “taming wild animals” (like crickets.) But because Daddy is sick inside of his head, he can’t do those things anymore.
Mama tells her that Daddy is going to see a special doctor, and she’s hopeful that he’ll get better. But she also has a lot of her own big feelings to deal with about his illness. Together, they discover new things that they can do while he’s getting better.
This book prompted important conversations with my son about how mental illness affects people, including my own experience having an anxiety disorder. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Author with mental illness.)
Related post: 6 ableist tropes that are all-too-common in children’s books
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best and Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Zulay and her friends love to sing and dance. She also loves her new pink shoes, and dreams about running so fast in them that she’ll feel like a bird opening her wings.
So when her teacher announces that a field day is coming up, she knows she wants to run in her new pink shoes. Her other classmates are surprised by her announcement since Zulay is blind. But another teacher knows that once Zulay learns how to use her new cane on the track, she’ll be able to join the race. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9)
Silent Lotus by Jeanne M. Lee
The anti-ableism message of this children’s book about disability is powerful. Long ago in Cambodia, a little girl named Lotus brought her parents great joy. When they realized that Lotus was deaf, they prayed that the gods would take away her misfortune.
Though their daughter finds happiness in nature, the other children ignore her attempts at friendship. In their worry, her parents decide to visit the temple in the city. Their visit changes the parents perspective and Lotus’ life. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9)
Children’s books about disability (non-fiction picture books)
I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith
One day Jordan Scott’s father picked him up from school after a “bad speech day,” and took him to the river. Pointing at the water, his father told him, “you see how that water moves, son? That’s how you speak.” While most people treated his stuttering as unnatural, that moment helped Scott understand his speech in a different way.
This moving picture book tells children his story. When he has to speak at school, the other children don’t hear the ways he speaks that connect him with nature. They only hear that he doesn’t speak like them. When the teacher gives an assignment to tell the class about their favorite place, his father helps him understand his kinship with the bubbling, churning, crashing river. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Author with speech impediment.)
My Travelin’ Eye by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
I love this book; (it might be my favorite on this list of children’s books about disability!) It challenges the stereotype that being disabled doesn’t bring any benefits with it. My Travelin’ Eye tells the author’s own story of being treated for a traveling, lazy eye at the age of 7.
While she doesn’t like being made fun of by other kids at school, Jenny knows there were all kinds of cool benefits to having a traveling eye. Even as Jenny gets treatment for her eye, she resists the idea that her eye is broken. My favorite line of the book may be the last one: “My travelin’ eye still wanders sometimes, but that’s the true nature of an artist – to see the world in her own unique way.”
Jenny’s illustrations are quirky, expressive, imaginative, and definitely challenge how we see the world. (Recommended for ages 4 – 9. Author with strabismus.)
Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson and Sean Qualls
When Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was a baby, many people dismissed what he could do. That’s because he was born with only one strong leg. But Emmanuel’s mother had faith that he could still find a way to make his way in the world, despite all the obstacles for disabled people in Ghana.
As a child, Emmanuel figured out how to do many things other children did, from playing soccer to even riding a bicycle with his one strong leg.
When his mother became ill, he knew that he must travel to the city to earn money for their family. He often met people who assumed he only wanted to beg from them. But Emmanuel was determined to show them that “being disabled did not mean being unable.”
And so, Emmanuel decided to make an incredible journey, riding his bicycle for 400 miles across Ghana, in just 10 days. His activism continues to challenge many people’s ideas about what people with physical disabilities can do.
Note: If you have a young child who’s particularly sensitive, you may want to choose different children’s books about disability to read (at least until they’re a bit older.) I read it to my son when he was four, and the fact that Emmanuel’s mother died made him so sad that he didn’t want to read the book again. (Recommended for ages 4 – 9)
Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask about Having a Disability by Shane Burcaw and Matt Carr
Living with spinal muscular atrophy, Shane Burcaw is used to getting lots of stares and questions from kids. He created this book to answer their questions in a straightforward way. The book is crack-up funny in many places, something folks might not expect from children’s books about disability.
Shane’s honesty and humor, combined with the zany photographs of him and his family, challenge non-disabled kids’ assumptions that they should feel sorry for someone like Shane. Instead, they can see all the things that Shane can do, on his own, with the help of family, and using his awesome motorized wheelchair. (Recommended for ages 4 – 10. Author with spinal muscular atrophy.)
Rescue and Jessica by Jessica Kensky, Patrick Downes, and Scott Magoon
This is the author’s true story about how she adjusted to life with prosthetic limbs after she was injured in the Boston Marathon bombing. (The bombing is not mentioned in the story.)
Jessica is worried about how different life will be with prosthetic legs. Rescue isn’t sure he’s up to the task of being a service dog.
While Jessica deals with her frustration at how hard it is to learn to walk again, she meets a friend’s service dog and realizes just how much one could help her.
Once Rescue and Jessica are paired with each other, Jessica figures out how to do the things she used to do before she was hurt. As their friendship grows, kids can see how both Rescue and Jessica need each other. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)
I Am Not a Label: 34 Disabled Artists, Thinkers, Athletes, and Activists from Past and Present by Cerrie Burnell and Laruen Mark Baldo
In her introduction, Burnell points out that one in four people have a disability, yet their stories are often ignored. This non-fiction children’s book profiling disabled leaders is a must-have for elementary classrooms.
Burnell’s moving introduction talks about her own childhood, and being unable to find disabled heroes to look up to in the books that she read. Her book provides important mirrors and windows, introducing readers to the fascinating stories of Stephen Hawking, Frida Kahlo, Stella Young, Henri Matisse, and so many more. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Author with limb discrepancy.)
Related post: A playlist of social justice songs for kids
Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
It’s no surprise that prolific author Patricia Polacco grew up loving books. What many don’t know about her is that she struggled mightily with dyslexia. As other children learned to read and she still could not, Trisha began to feel dumb.
She developed coping strategies to hide the fact that she couldn’t read. But whenever she had to read aloud in class, she faced cruel teasing and bullying from her classmates. It wasn’t until a kind teacher named Mr. Falker intervened that Trisha could see her own talent and bravery, gifts that equipped her to learn to read, with his help. (Recommended for ages 7 – 11. Dyslexic author.)
Autism children’s books (fiction and non-fiction picture books)
Benji, the Bad Day, and Me by Sally J. Pla and Ken Min
Sammy is having a terrible day, complete with getting in trouble at school and having to walk home in the rain. But his Mom doesn’t seem to notice, only letting him know that Benji is in his box. Benji is autistic. When he’s in his box, that means he’s also had a bad day and shouldn’t be disturbed.)
The box is only big enough for Benji, but Sammy wishes he had one for moments like this. Or that Mom would do something special to help him feel better, like she often does for Benji after challenging occupational therapy sessions. But when one more thing pushes Sammy over the edge into tears, it’s Benji who notices and comes to the rescue. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Neurodivergent author.)
The Girl Who Thought In Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca and Daniel Rieley
As an autistic child, future scientist Temple Grandin saw the world differently than other children. Many people didn’t understand that being autistic made Temple “different, not less.” So her mom decided that time on her aunt’s ranch would give her a much needed break from bullying.
It’s there that Temple first developed her empathy for cows, who were also visual thinkers like she was. Her understanding of the animals helped her advance livestock science to become more humane.
This rhyming book not only teaches kids about Temple’s life, but reminds them to celebrate the many different ways our brains can work. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)
It Was Supposed To Be Sunny by Samantha Cotterill
Samantha Cotterill, who is autistic has written a collection of books for autistic kids and children with sensory issues. She says these are the books she wished she had as a child.
In this volume, Laila is excited about her birthday party, which she’s promised her friends will be full of sparkles and sunshine. When a thunderstorm moves in instead, her mother helps Laila work through her disappointment and figure out how to make an indoor party fun.
But when too many things start to go wrong, Laila wants to send everyone home. Can the party continue? (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Autistic author.)
Picture books starring disabled characters
Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari and Patrice Barton
Zara’s dog Moose hates to be separated from her. He’s always ready to say hello to her, showing up at school in all kinds of places he isn’t welcome. Even though Moose is always well behaved, each and every time, he has to tell Zara and her friends goodbye after just a few minutes.
Finally, Zara has an idea of how Moose won’t have to say goodbye anymore. First, he’ll have to go to his own school, so that he can start being invited to hers.
I love that Zara is shown just going through her normal day in this book using her wheelchair, without making the book be about her using a wheelchair. This is one way to normalize being disabled to kids! (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)
King for a Day by Rukhsana Khan and Christiane Krömer
This is truly unique children’s book starring a disabled character. Malik, a boy who lives in Lahore, Pakistan, looks forward to the spring festival of Basant all year. People all over the city will be testing their kite flying skills, and Malik knows he will be king of the festival. His brother and sister are surprised at the small size of his kite Falcon, though.
Yet with Malik’s skill, Falcon is swift enough the capture the huge, expensive flag of the bully who has called his sister bad names. Soon his expertise provides him with another opportunity to show compassion to a young child on the street below.
I love the way that Malik and his kite are the heroes of the story, challenging the stereotype that disabled people are incapable of standing up for themselves or others. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9).
Chapter books about disability
El Deafo by Cece Bell
This graphic novel was one of my son’s favorite books around age 7. In El Deafo, author Cece Bell gives children a window into her own childhood. After contracting meningitis at age 4, Cece becomes profoundly deaf. Her struggle to understand, but most of all to be understood by other children, shines through the pages.
While the subject is a serious one, the book is filled with laugh out loud humor (including plenty of bathroom jokes that kids will love.) Cece’s alternate identity as a superhero named El Deafo helps her deal with the sense of loneliness that follows her during her first few years of being deaf.
Her annoyance at friends who insist on talking in a slow, exaggerated manner or who refer to her as their “deaf friend” can easily lead to conversations with kids about microaggressions. (Recommended for ages 7 – 12, #ownvoices)
Related Post: 12 diverse & inclusive graphic novels for kids ages 7 – 12
As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds
It’s hard to do this remarkable book justice in a short review. The title As Brave As You, could refer to any of the main characters: two brothers named Genie and Ernie, or their grandfather.
With their parents on their first trip alone since their honeymoon, New York kids Genie and Ernie will be spending a month with their grandparents in rural Virginia. Genie’s never even met his Grandpop before, and he’s baffled when he finds out Grandpop is blind. How can he cook like he does, pick out his matching clothes, and most of all how does he hide being blind so well?
As Grandpop gradually opens up to Genie, he finds out about even more secrets he’s been keeping. One secret in particular turns out to be why Genie’s Dad barely speaks to Grandpop. During their time together, can they help each other find the bravery they need? (Recommended for ages 10 – 14.)
Shop this list of children’s books about disability on Bookshop.org. Your purchase supports independent bookstores.
Tip: As you look for additional children’s books about disability, I encourage you to read Ashia’s guidance about what makes for an empowering versus condescending story about disabled characters.
One response to “20 children’s books about disability that shatter stereotypes”
The website is not mine. I am a parent and have read many of your blogs which are wonderful.
There is an author I recently discovered who has a disability and has written amazing books featuring her 5 characters – all animals. So what, you ask? Each one of these adorable, lovable characters has its own disability/challenge. Her books are a big hit in our home.