Emmanuel's Dream
Illustrator
Sean Qualls
Publisher
Random House Children's Books
Publication Year
2015
ISBN
9780449817445
Pages
40 pages
Genre
nonfiction
Format
picture book
Item Type
Nonfiction
Annotation
Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah's inspiring true story—which was turned into a film, Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey—is nothing short of remarkable. Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled. Thompson's lyrical prose and Qualls's bold collage illustrations offer a powerful celebration of triumphing over adversity.
Grade Level
PK-1; K-3
Lexile Measure
AD770L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Disability and Health; Family Member Death; Homelessness; Poverty; Single Parent; Physical Disability; single mother; death of a parent; death of a mother; family tragedy; loss; transient; no home; living in poverty; financial hardship; mobility; congenital limb difference; child with a physical disability
Main Character
male child into male adult
Race/Ethnicities
Black (Ghanaian)
Family Formation
single mother
Awards
Children's Africana Book Award, 2016, Notable Book, Young Children
Keywords
perseverance; soccer; acceptance; challenge; bike; dream; respect; difference; support; courage
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Thompson, Laurie Ann, "Emmanuel's Dream" (2015). Diverse Families. 2034.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/2034