My Sister, Alicia May (Book Review)

Hooray! It's Multicultural Children's Book Day on Friday, January 29th! I was delighted to be gifted a copy of My Sister, Alicia May by the author, Nancy Tupper Ling. The book was beautifully illustrated by Shennen Bersani and published in 2009 by Pleasant St. Press.
**All opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Alicia May is like any six-year-old in many ways. She also has Down Syndrome. In this book her sister, Rachel, shares an honest look into their lives and relationship. Alicia May likes bugs, counts dots on ladybugs, and talks to the animals at the zoo. She has a sharp memory and remembers how many steps lead to the library. Rachel also tells us about Alicia May's medical issues and challenges with leaving a place she loves. As a mom to two boys, one who has a genetic syndrome, I appreciated the honesty from Rachel confessing that sometimes her little sister really annoys her. 

The ending totally made me tear up, so I won't give that away. Being a sibling of someone with a disability is a unique path. How special that this book is available! Representation of children with disabilities AND their siblings is so needed, and having this be written from a sibling's perspective makes it that much more meaningful. 

When I asked Nancy Tupper Ling what inspired this story, she said her close friend did. The setting in the illustrations was inspired by the real life farmland where she walked with her friend and the sisters from her book. Her friend shared that there just weren't books featuring children like Alicia May that weren't didactic in nature. And so she set out to tell this lovely story. 

I highly recommend it! 

**For other books featuring children with disabilities, visit my Bookshop site!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.
Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.
MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!
FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Prgamaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com)
Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media
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Silver Sponsors: Charlotte Riggle, Connecticut Association of School Librarians, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Pack-N-Go Girls
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Authors: Author Afsaneh Moradian, Author Alva Sachs & Three Wishes Publishing Company, Author Angeliki Stamatopoulou-Pedersen, Author Anna Olswanger, Author Casey Bell , Author Claudine Norden, Author Debbie Dadey, Author Diana Huang & Intrepids,  Author Eugenia Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Green Kids Club,  Author Gwen Jackson, Author Janet Balletta, Author Josh Funk, Author Julia Inserro, Karter Johnson & Popcorn and Books, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, Author Keila Dawson, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Author Mia Wenjen, Michael Genhart, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Natalie Murray, Natalie McDonald-Perkins, Author Natasha Yim, Author Phe Lang and Me On The Page Publishing, Sandra Elaine Scott, Author Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher,  Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, Author Theresa Mackiewicz, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Author Toshia Stelivan, Valerie Williams-Sanchez & The Cocoa Kids Collection Books©, Author Vanessa Womack, MBA, Author Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series
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