written by Laurie Ann Thompson
illustrated by Sean Qualls
Schwartz & Wade / Random House, 2015
ISBN: 978–0449817445
40 pages, ages 4 and up
The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
This inspirational picture book biography tells the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who bicycled across Ghana with only one leg. In so doing, he forever changed how his country views people with disabilities and showed us all that one person is enough to change the world.
Resources
- Curriculum Guide (free, reproducible)
- Meet-the-Author at TeachingBooks.net
- Crossword puzzle, TeachersPayTeachers.com (free, reproducible)
- Picture books for young changemakers (Pinterest)
- Emmanuel’s Dream blog tour
- My blog posts about Emmanuel’s Dream
- Author “read-aloud plus” available by request! Please email for details.
Recognition
- ALA Youth Media Awards Schneider Family Children’s Book Award Winner 2016
- Amazon Best Books of the Month Pick for January
- Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable Children’s Book for 2016
- Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year for ages 5–9 (page 12, Biography and Memoir)
- Beehive Award, Children’s Literature Association of Utah (CLAU) nominee 2017
- Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, Maryland Association of School Librarians, nominee 2016–2017
- CCBC Choices 2016, Cooperative Children’s Book Center
- Children’s Africana Book Awards Notable Book
- Cybils Award for Elementary/Middle Grade Non-Fiction finalist 2015
- Eureka Honor Award, California Reading Association 2015
- FirstBook #StoriesForAll featured title
- Georgia Children’s Picturebook (Gr. K‑4) Award finalist 2016–2017
- Grand Canyon Reader Award in Arizona, nonfiction book category nominee 2018
- Junior Library Guild selection
- Kids’ Indie Next List, Winter 2014–2015
- Little Free Library’s Action Book Club, Everyday Heroes recommended title
- Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Awards Transitional Non-Fiction Honor Book, 2016
- Monarch K‑3 Readers’ Choice Award, Illinois School Library Media Association 2019
- Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Primary) nominee 2016–2017
- Star of the North, Minnesota Youth Reading Awards, nominee 2016–2017
- Washington State Book Award, Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award finalist 2016
Accolades
“This powerful and winning picture book tells the story of a young man overcoming the odds…. This uplifting account will resonate with readers and supplement global and cultural studies. A triumph.” (School Library Journal, starred review)
“…[S]imple line drawings and stylish, expressive figures filled with layers of rich, warm color on pale, thickly painted backgrounds—capture Emmanuel’s triumphs beautifully.” (Booklist)
“Thompson…presents a warm, matter-of-fact overview of the life of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah… [while] Qualls provides solid visual and emotional scaffolding for the setbacks and triumphs Yeboah faced.” (Publishers Weekly)