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Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller
by
Doreen Rappaport,
Matt Tavares (Goodreads Author)
This picturebook biography is an excellent and accessible introduction for young readers to learn about one of the world's most influential luminaries. With her signature style of prose laced with stirring quotes, Doreen Rappaport brings to life Helen Keller's poignant narrative. Acclaimed illustrator Matt Tavares beautifully captures the dynamism and verve of Helen Keller...more
Hardcover, 48 pages
Published
October 16th 2012
by Disney-Hyperion
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A big, gorgeous, inspirational picture book about Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. Like Martin's Big Words, the format includes inspirational quotes and key moments in Keller's life. A lovely introduction that will leave young readers wanting to learn more.
Excelling without Seeing
In Helen’s Big World, writer Doreen Rappaport shares an inspirational story about the life of Helen Keller and the obstacles she overcomes with her blindness. As Rappaport describes Helen’s determination and perseverance to reach her goals in life, despite her physical disabilities, life lessons of never giving up are revealed throughout the story.
The story begins with Helen’s life as a baby. When she was very young she became very ill. Her illness left her blind, deaf...more
In Helen’s Big World, writer Doreen Rappaport shares an inspirational story about the life of Helen Keller and the obstacles she overcomes with her blindness. As Rappaport describes Helen’s determination and perseverance to reach her goals in life, despite her physical disabilities, life lessons of never giving up are revealed throughout the story.
The story begins with Helen’s life as a baby. When she was very young she became very ill. Her illness left her blind, deaf...more
Nov 21, 2012
Barbara
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
biography,
civil-rights,
families,
friendship,
gifted,
languages,
picture-book,
strong-women,
teachers,
ncbla2013
Many of those of us who are teachers have been fascinated with the relationship between teacher Annie Sullivan and her student Helen Keller. This picture book biography describes that relationship in somewhat nostalgic fashion, touching on Helen's early life, her loss of the ability to see, hear or speak and how things changed once Teacher came into her life. Much of the territory has been covered before in other biographies, but this one focuses on how fingerspelling and Braille expanded Helen'...more
Obviously this author amd artist have not had a lot of experience with deaf-blind people. I took a quick read of this in the bookstore and found many glaring errors and misrepresentations of these people and their language. To start with, the cover has "Braille" which is tactile but not actually useable to a blind person. The spacing is so large and the dots so small, the product is all but unreadable. It is, as my blind friend used to call it, Braille for the sighted.
I do not see any acknowled...more
I do not see any acknowled...more
Helen Keller's story is timeless, and this is a book that makes an old story new again. The art in this book follows the story line, so in the beginning the pictures are dark and sad, but as Helen begins to find her voice through her teacher, the pictures lighten up and the story begins to shine as well.
Interspersed with the actual story of Ms. Keller are famous quotes that are inspirational, and this book is fabulous to show how someone with a disability (found during a time when 'disability' w...more
Interspersed with the actual story of Ms. Keller are famous quotes that are inspirational, and this book is fabulous to show how someone with a disability (found during a time when 'disability' w...more
This was my second Doreen Rappaport’s picturebook biography and I really enjoyed reading “Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen”. Helen Keller’s story always impresses me every time I read it. I almost wish there was a little more information in the story just because her story really interests me. Yet there was still enough information to get the basic outline of her life from the time she was born all the way up till she died. I enjoyed the illustrations in this book as well. They helped illust...more
There are many books written about the life of these inspiring women, Helen and Annie, but perhaps this one is a good introduction to their story for younger children. It includes all the parts one knows well, the beginnings, the sickness, and the challenging young Helen, until Annie Sullivan show up. The book traces the story all the way to the ends of both lives, emphasizing Helen’s love of learning and Annie’s dedication to helping her learn all she can. There are several points of discussio...more
Beautiful picture book that felt fresh in the midst of numerous materials on this famous women. Quotes throughout the book add depth and opportunity to talk about types of writing/information and give a personal glimpse into Helen Keller's mind. I need to read her autobiography! Challenge students to think about life from someone else's perspective as well as help them think about their own struggles and how those can become strengths.
A reviewer below notes inaccuracies and issues with the port...more
A reviewer below notes inaccuracies and issues with the port...more
I so appreciated how this book was enjoyable for pleasure reading but also was teaching me new information! I had done projects on Helen Keller before reading this so I brought some previous knowledge of her; however, Doreen Rappaport's ability to incorporate actual quotations from Helen added a twist on getting to know Helen in the book. It helped to hear her voice in the text as well as the pictures adding to the reader's ability to build a picture and develop the person of Helen Keller!
As an...more
As an...more
#10: Historical Biography PB: I truly loved this picturebook! It had just the right amount of text to get the point across without being overwhelming to younger students. As a potential social studies teacher--I would totally recommend this book and Rappaport's other historical biographies to use in the classroom. The picturebook was very beautifully and appropriately supplemented with illustrations which also made it very enjoyable. I really loved the creative and clever way Rappaport used dire...more
It's amazing that new books can continue to reveal new, inspiring details of Helen Keller's life. Even though I've heard many of the facts about her before, this one captures her lively spirit, intelligence, activism, and the fierce love she had for Annie Sullivan. I love introducing kids to her story for the first time because it never ceases to captivate and inspire young people. Beautiful illustrations (be sure to read the illustrator's note at the end, explaining how he wanted to capture the...more
I read Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller and I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed it. I love that I learnt some things about her that I didn’t know previously; such as she was born typically developing and contracted an illness that made her lose her hearing and eyesight. I cannot imagine the frustration she had to have gone through, from being able to hear and see to everything being black and silent. You can tell through her direct quotes how much she appreciated her mentor th...more
A picture book biography of Helen Kellar that highlights key points in her life and focuses on the loving relationship between teacher and student. I liked that the author/illustrator showcased Helen's abilities as opposed to her disabilities.
Each two page spread has a close up illustration of Helen relating to the world and the people around her. The artwork evokes feelings while it displays a world that Helen could neither see nor hear. Each two page spread includes a quote from Helen that is...more
Each two page spread has a close up illustration of Helen relating to the world and the people around her. The artwork evokes feelings while it displays a world that Helen could neither see nor hear. Each two page spread includes a quote from Helen that is...more
The title says it all “Helen’s Big World,”which is rich, full of life and not limited in any way. This is an excellent introduction for young readers to learn about this most remarkable woman. Doreen Rappaport beautifully captures the essence of this very inspirational child and woman, Helen Keller. It is written in prose with quotes from Helen woven into the story on every page. The book not only chronicles the story of Helen’s challenging and courageous life, but shows children how one can mo...more
Helen's Big World is a beautiful look into an extrodinary woman's life. The book begins with Helen's childhood and expands into her adult life as a speaker and activist for social causes. There are wonderful illustrations as well as large quotes from Helen. This book is for children ages six to eight. I really loved the quotes that were chosen to be in the book. There are excerpts from letters Helen wrote that are also great additions to the book. She is such an inspiring woman and all children...more
This picture book biography of Helen Keller celebrates both the accomplishments of Helen Keller in overcoming her world of darkness and silence and those of her teacher Annie Sullivan. The book begins with Helen as a small baby, before she had an unknown illness at 19 months that took her sight and hearing away. It then moves through her attempts to continue to communicate, the frustration that caused her tantrums, and the slow progression of learning that led to the seminal moment at the water...more
Read about the inspiring life of Helen Keller in this picture book biography. Born deaf and blind, she was determined to expereince every part of life and with the help of an unrivaled teacher, Annie Sullivan, Helen found that knowledge would soon lead to freedom. This book is an excellent and unforgettable portrait of one of the world's most influential women whose vision for progress changed America and the world forever.
Words and text blend well to show Helen's ever-expanding world and accomplishments. The occasional use of Helen's words is a nice touch, but it's Tavares' dramatic paintings that bring the book alive--otherwise it's just another bio of Keller. Endpaper of finger spelling and visual representation of the title in Braille are useful (too bad it's not actually in Braille instead of painted); informative back matter.
Superior to almost all the longer children's biographies of Keller in that it doesn't shy away from her later life as a social activist. It never ceases to amaze how a superb writer like Rappaport can convey more of the reality of a story in 48 pages than a mediocre writer can in hundreds. The text is also enriched by dozens of quotes--giving readers a sense of Keller's own voice. Highly recommended.
Another good picture book about Helen Keller. This one continues past the early years and shows how she persevered through life and made a difference in many areas. The illustrations were really good--I appreciated them even more after reading the illustrator's note.
Proud of myself for being able to read the title in Braille--something I wanted to learn because I admire Helen so much.
Proud of myself for being able to read the title in Braille--something I wanted to learn because I admire Helen so much.
Beautiful picture book about the life of Helen Keller. A excellent addition to the biography section of the elementary school library. Very moving, yet appropriate for a younger readership. While I found it a bit ironic that part of what made this book so appealing to me was the luscious illustrations, they did help to put Keller's life into historical context for me.
Very beautiful book that allows a young audience to grasp the enormity of what Helen Keller and her family faced when she became blind and deaf before she was 2 years old. It is a great beginning from which a child can begin learning more about people who overcome disabilities to make a place in their world.
Slightly oversized and gorgeously illustrated with 1 1/2 page spreads, this picture book biography juxtaposes quotations of Helen Keller with the story of her life told in spare blank verse, followed by author and illustrator notes. A must-purchase addition for school and public libraries.
There is almost no one more inspiring to me than Helen Keller and this book does a beautiful job of bringing her to life for the elementary school crowd. The illustrations were beautiful! The text is concise but lyrical and is interspersed with Helen's own words. Lovely!
I read this as an advanced copy. The cover has braille on it, which I think is wonderful. The illustrations are marvelous and the story also contains quotes from Keller. Goes beyond the books I was able to read about her as a kid. Includes history time line as well.
Language has different forms and genre. Story telling about Helen Keller and powerful quotes from Helen's actual statments shines power of languages.. I love the book title is also written in brallie earns great appreciation as well. Surely powerful illustrations!
This is a wonderful picture book biography of Helen Keller. I loved that actual quotes from Helen Keller are used as part of the text. Each quote has to do with what is described in the story on that page. I also appreciated that the book tells the story of her whole life. It shows the college and vaudeville years, as well as the years that she spent traveling and speaking out for the rights of others. So many biographies of Helen Keller for kids stop either after she learns to finger spell or w...more
This is a nice intro into Helen Keller for younger children and the book had really great illustrations. However, I would have thought they would have included braille throughout the story. They have braille on the cover, but not anywhere else.
Beautiful mini biography on Helen Keller's life and how she learned how to do so much. Fascinating information, including quotes from Helen. Written simply enough lower elementary can read and enjoy, but older kids would like it, too.
Dec 28, 2012
Tenille Shade
added it
This book makes me want to dig deeper into Helen Keller's life. Doreen Rappaport does an exquisite job of describing her tenacity and determination. Anne Sullivan is my hero. This is a must read biography for any teacher!
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Doreen Rappaport has written many books of fiction and nonfiction for young readers, specializing in thoroughly researched multicultural history, historical fiction, retellings of folktales and myths, and stories of those she calls the "not-yet-celebrated." Among her recent books is MARTIN'S BIG WORDS: THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., illustrated by Bryan Collier, which received a Caldecot...more
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Apr 07, 2013 11:08am