Mom Can't See Me by Sally Alexander

Alexander, Sally. Mom Can't See Me. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990.

This book is written from the perspective of the author’s nine-year-old daughter, Leslie. This is a true story about one little girl’s perspective of life with a blind parent. This book touches on many of the common misconceptions people may have about blindness. This is extremely beneficial for children who may not know anyone personally who is blind because it touches on everyday life situations.

Although Sally Alexander is writing this book, it is Leslie who is providing the ideas. Mom Can’t See Me begins by explaining how her mother lost her vision, breaking blood cells in her eyes eventually blinded her. Leslie explains, “Some blind people can see colors or blurry blotches, but my mom can’t see any of those things. She’s totally blind and can’t even tell if a light is on or off. She doesn’t see black, just smoky white or grey” (Alexander). This page is unlike other pages because it is black with white writing, possibly in attempt to emphasize this point. Actual photos provide illustration for this book which gives readers a more authentic experience. There are many different images of Sally, Leslie’s mother, doing normal everyday activities, such as: spending time with the family, cleaning the house, walking with her guide dog, eating dinner, riding the bus, boating, reading, (Braille) cooking, camping, tap dancing, going to the movies, playing the piano, biking, (tandem bike) swimming, writing, (on a computer that speaks every word she types) attending parent conferences, and shopping.

I felt as though this book was successful in communicating a few important messages. One message readers are hopefully picking up on is that Sally’s disability does not negatively affect her everyday life. She is fully able to accomplish her goals and live life as she pleases. Just as anyone might occasionally need some assistance, Leslie is able to help her mom out with small things like cooking, cleaning, or dictating the silent parts of movies. Leslie realizes that her mom is independent yet needs some help from time to time. This emphasizes the idea of responsibility for Leslie. Children are seeing other kids their age doing housework and being helping their parents out. This is a positive image for children who may normally dislike or have a poor attitude about chores. This book also sends children a strong message about the importance of family relationships. This family is seen spending a lot of time together doing various activities together. Lastly, this book subtly addresses the misconceptions children may possibly have about people who are blind. For instance, Leslie points out that her mother doesn’t see blackness; in fact she sees smoky white or grey. Mom Can’t See Me also tackles the frustrations family members may have at other people who do not understand the situation. As Leslie explains, “Not everybody understands about having a blind mom. I wish they did. My friends always nod or point when they talk. Since mom can’t see what they’re doing, I have to explain. I feel like a translator.” It is important to know how Leslie feels, especially for readers who are not an insider. Overall, I would use this book or one similar to it in my classroom collection someday because of the many positive messages it sends readers. Leslie’s mother is committed to her family, very independent, and is able to accomplish her goals.

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

Young, Ed. Seven Blind Mice. New York: Philomel Books, 1992.

This children’s book is a Caldecott winner that tells the story of seven unique mice who take turns examining a “strange object” in their pond. These mice are blind, so they are not able to identify the object by sight; they must investigate using other senses. The book is divided into days, on each day a different mouse, characterized by a color, approaches the object and comments on what it might be. The first day they are all too scared to go near it, and decide to go home. The book also introduces the days of the week to younger children, beginning with Monday. They also are exposed to numbers, for example words like first, second, third, and forth are used to specify the order in which the mice take turns examining the object.

The Red Mouse went first to find out what was in their pond. The reader can clearly see this object, but to the Red Mouse, it appears as a pillar. He returns to the group to share his findings, but no one believed him. The Green Mouse had the chance to explore on Tuesday, and again, readers are able to see a portion of the object even though the mice can not. His consensus is that the object is a snake. The next day, on Wednesday, the Yellow Mouse disagrees that the object is in fact a spear. On Thursday it is the Purple Mouse’s turn – he believes the object to be a cliff. According to The Orange Mouse who was the fifth to go (Friday) the object resembled a fan. Blue Mouse ventured out on Saturday to discover that the object seemed like a rope. Again, the mice don’t agree with this analysis and begin to bicker. Sunday came, and the White Mouse got the chance to see for her self (the only female) what the object was. The White Mouse “ran across the top and from end to end” (Young) to find that this object is “as sturdy as a pillar, supple as a snake, wide as a cliff, sharp as a spear, breezy as a fan, stringy as a rope, but altogether the Something is…an elephant!” (Young) Then all the mice ran across the elephant to get a better image, and they also agreed with White Mouse. Children are given a “Mouse Moral” at the end of this book: “Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole” (Young).

I felt as though this book accomplished a lot of things and would be a good way to introduce young children to the idea of being blind and what the implications are. It also incorporated teaching children colors, numbers, days of the week, and gave an important moral at the end of the story. I think that most children would enjoy the contrast in colors, the black background with the colorful mice on it as well as the creative portrayal of the elephant. I question the author’s choice to include a picture of the elephant for the reader. It may be more impacting if readers are also curious about this “Something” in the pond, but most children would catch on that it is an elephant. I also question the choice of having only one female mouse, and that she was the one to make the largest discovery about the elephant. Whether or not this was a conscious choice is debatable, but there are certain implications of this decision. As a whole, I would include this book in my collection because of the unique presentation of how someone with visual impairments may “view” life. That is, children are receiving an alternative perspective on how to experience their world. Ed Young does a remarkable job with his illustrations; children would be captivated by the texture of the elephant and the bright colors of the mice.