Review: Unbound: The Life + Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Quick Info:

Book type: Picture Book

Target age: 4-8 years old

Recommended age: 4-8 years old

Plot: The life and artwork of Judith Scott as told by her twin sister, Joyce. Judith was institutionalized most of her life due to her diagnoses of Down Syndrome and very late discovery of deafness. After her twin sister was finally able to get her out and care for her, Judith began to show interest in making art pieces with yarn and other materials she could find.

Review:

This story was bittersweet as you could clearly see the love between two sisters. The art in the story is unique and it is fun to see Judith’s artwork scanned into the book interacting with the drawings of the book. There are a couple of heavy topics in the book regarding institutionalization and disability but it is a great way to introduce conversations with your younger child. Another heavy topic is how the book speaks of her death of naturals causes at the end. It is not in detail but the reader learns she passes.

Opinion:

This is a great book to help start some difficult conversations or merely expose children to people who were born differently than them. Plus the art is cool to look at. I highly recommend!

Content:

• None