Laurie Ann Thompson

I think the message of this biographical children’s book is to never give up, even when you are going through a hard time. Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was born with only one functional and mobile leg yet he learned how to ride a bike and trekked over 400 miles across Ghana in just 10 days. This shows children what perseverance is all about.

I enjoyed this book because it provided a different face of strength in children’s literature and pushes readers to think about difficult issues. For show more Emmanuel, it took his mother’s death and her saying to him, “Be respectful, take care of your family, don’t ever beg. And don’t give up.” He realized his full potential through the heartbreak of his mothers passing. It shows students that while we go through difficult times we must rise above them. I feel that it also shows that hard times will come. Many young students cannot even imagine life without their guardians. This book pushes them to imagine life without them and overcoming the challenges that arise with loss.

I also loved the illustrations in this book! They seemed true to African culture in that they were colorful yet subtle. They also illustrated more than what was being said through the words on some pages. For instance, when Emmanuel finally learns how to ride his bike after many failed attempts with his friend helping him, the author writes “Over and over again, Emmanuel fell---hard---but finally…he rode!” This paints a picture of happiness and accomplishment for Emmanuel, as was illustrated. But the illustration also shows the friend who helped him with his arms up behind Emmanuel jumping for joy. This is a detail that the author didn’t feel was necessary to include words for but is embellished through illustrations. show less

I chose this book because I knew nothing about the main character, Emmanuel. This book is an inspiration to anyone who reads it, but it touched my heart for a special reason. My brother has a disability and I have always feared that he, or anyone else, will think that because he is different, he cannot achieve certain goals. Like Emmanuel, I hope my brother does not see his disability as an obstacle he cannot overcome. Emmanuel was born with only one leg strong enough to use. Despite his show more condition, he was determined to succeed. He would hop to school on one leg, play sports, and accepted nothing less than a regular paying job to take care of his sick mother. He eventually shocked the world with riding his bike, with one leg, nearly four hundred miles in about ten days. His determination to succeeded should be an inspiration to everyone to never stop pursuing their dreams. Not only is this book a good motivation for children to work hard to achieve their goals, but it is filled with great vocabulary. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. show less

Emmanuel is born with a birth defect. He is born missing one and grows up with a single-mother in Ghana, West Africa. While those around him, with the exception of his mother, expect little and think he is capable of even less based on his disability, he perseveres.

Emmanuel is inspiring and his story is remarkable. He goes on to bike 400 miles or more, spreading the powerful message that "disability does not mean inability." I was not surprised to hear that the author, Laurie Ann Thompson, show more is an advocate for social justice and works to empower young readers to change the world.

Emmanuel is real and his story continues. Today he works for progress and continues to fight for the changes he hopes to see. It's an exciting real-life read with optimistic illustrations to match. They are colorful characters, activities, and vegetation on largely off-white pages. The color contrasts between light and dark and orange and green, really makes the characters pop and the excitement of the story palpable.

Four stars because I saw the messages coming and sometimes the relayed events felt a little too much like aphorisms about effort being enough to overcome it all. show less

There are many reasons as to why I thoroughly enjoyed this book. First, the illustrations are amazing. I think telling the story by looking at just the pictures can stand on its own when picking out this book. Second, this book pushes readers to think about the real world. The book also gives them a sense that they can achieve anything as long as they work hard and put their mind to it. Emmanuel was able to pursue his dream by striving for what he particularly wanted. I think readers 7-10 show more would enjoy this book because it can get them thinking on goals they would like to achieve no matter how big or small. show less