I received this book for free from Hear Our Voices Book Tours & the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond Illustrator: Kate Cosgrove
Published by Row House Publishing on May 9, 2023
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Disabilities, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Activism & Social Justice, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
Pages: 48
Format: Hardcover
Source: Hear Our Voices Book Tours & the publisher
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A must-read that belongs in every home and classroom, A Day With No Words invites readers into the life of an Autism Family who communicates just as the child does, without spoken language.
The American Library Association Booklist starred review boasts, “The story is written from the boy's first-person perspective, however—a clever choice in that it gives readers a direct look into his mind and reinforces the book's crucial statement that nonverbal people have as many words and as much intelligence as anyone else. Cosgrove's art, throughout, does an amazing job of transporting readers into his perspective, employing various color tones, metaphoric imagery, and ‘camera’ angles to reflect the deep expressiveness contained in every page [...] through this book, neurotypicals' eyes will be opened, and everyone in Autistic Families will feel seen—and heard.”
A Day With No Words is a colorful and engaging picture book for young readers shares what life can look like for families who use nonverbal communication, utilizing tools to embrace their unique method of "speaking."
The story highlights the bond between mother and child and follows them on a day where they use a tablet to communicate with others.
Written by an autistic mother of two autistic sons and the creator behind the popular @Fidgets.and.Fries social media platform and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove (IG @k8cosgrove), A Day With No Words successfully normalizes communication methods outside of verbal speech and provides representation of neurodiversity and autism in a way that affirms and celebrates.
The experts are raving!
"How lucky are we to finally get Tiffany's poignant words and message into children's hands through this impactful story. Children and families can now be touched by her brilliance and learn about the often-overlooked autistics who communicate differently. The importance of A Day With No Words cannot be overstated in its potential to expose readers, young and old alike, to the beauties and barriers of living the autistic experience." — Ali Cunningham Abbott, PhD, LMHC, author of Counseling Adults with Autism: A Comprehensive Toolkit
“Through A Day with No Words, Tiffany Hammond provides us a rare window to the non-speaking world of autism. She has done so with love, compassion, and, I believe, deep understanding. And Kate Cosgrove's illustrations make it a beautiful world indeed. Bravo and thank you to both Hammond and Cosgrove for this window!” — Samantha S. Supernaw, LCSW-S, Licensed Therapist & Clinical Supervisor
“In my past 20 years as a developmental pediatrician, I have never read anything quite like A Day With No Words, a book that so eloquently, lyrically, and vividly captures the essence and beauty of an autistic mind. This book is a gift to all who read it.” — Wendy J. Ross, MD, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Developmental Pediatrician, Associate Professor Jefferson University, Director Jefferson Health Center for Autism and Neurodiversity
About the Author: Tiffany Hammond (she/her) is the voice behind the Fidgets and Fries platform. She is an Autistic mother, advocate, and storyteller who uses her personal experiences with Autism and parenting two Autistic boys to guide others on their journey.
Tiffany has a Masters in Developmental Psychology and spends her time teaching, coaching, and mentoring others in Disability Justice issues.
Her activism is rooted in challenging the current perception of Autism as a lifelong burden, cultivating a community that explores the concept of Intersectionality and inspiring thought leaders through storytelling, education, and critical discourse.
Welcome to my stop on the Hear Our Voices book tour for A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove!
A Day With No Words is an awesome, colorful celebration of a day in the life of an Autism Family. It will really make you think about voice, communication and expression and how that can look different for individuals.
In this case, the main character, young Aiden is a non-verbal autistic boy. He has a tablet that he uses to communicate. The way he describes the voices of his parents and the sounds he encounters are so beautiful and lyrical. It dispels any misconceptions that just because you don’t speak verbally, you don’t know words. Aiden expresses himself quite well.
Since he narrates the story, you are hearing his perspective and how he experiences things through his senses. I love the approach of telling the story from Aiden’s perspective because it centers his experience instead of trying to frame it from a teachable moment perspective. A great opportunity for readers to recognize and celebrate the humanity of those who communicate differently.
My favorite scenes are of him describing his parents’ voices and his dance celebration in the park. I also love how the mother supports her son’s mode of communication by communicating with Aiden and others they interact with in the same way.
This book is written by an autistic mother of two autistic sons. I love the representation of voice and joy in this book. It was truly a joy to read.
About the Author
Tiffany Hammond is an autistic mother, advocate, and storyteller who uses her personal experiences with Autism and parenting two teenage boys with the same diagnosis to help guide others on their journey. Check out her website for A Day With No Words here,
https://www.adaywithnowords.com/meet-tiffany
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