Nathan’s wish : A story about cerebral palsy by Lears, Laurie

Title: Nathan’s wish : A story about cerebral palsy

Author: Lears, Laurie

Illustration: Stacey Schuelt

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company

Comments

CIP info A boy with cerebral palsy helps out at a raptor rehabilitation center and is inspired himself when an owl that cannot fly finds another purpose in life. This book ended up better than I expected. Often when books are written to include a specific ailment, they tend to be almost like a textbook. They can be unfeeling and dull. While the text is slow in places, the overall package makes it worthwhile. The illustrations are average, but suit the story well. The illustrations aid the story, but don’t over power the story. That is a fine and sometimes tricky line to walk. Nathan who has cerebral palsy is inspired by Fire, a blinded owl. He helps Fire see the purpose of living on. While she can’t fly and live on her own she finds purpose in helping raise young birds that had been abandoned by their mother. Fire feels she is worthwhile again. Nathan sees how Fire finds new purpose and he looks at his own life. While he is limited by cerebral palsy, he thinks of other ways he can help out. This book fills a gap in children’s literature. It is hard to find any books about children with handicaps, let alone good books. Even though this book is about a boy with a specific ailment, any child can feel helpless or hindered by their size and age. This might show them that they can help in other ways. A good addition to any collection.