about the book
When Emmanuel was born in Ghana, West Africa, he had two bright eyes, two healthy lungs, two tiny fists, but only one strong leg. Nearly everyone thought he was going to be a lifelong burden, including his father who left and never returned.
Only his mother, Comfort, believed in him. This was enough for Emmanuel.
He learned to crawl and hop, play soccer and ride a bike, and even worked to provide for his family.
Emmanuel surpassed everyone’s expectations—especially when he rode four hundred miles across Ghana to show that disability is not inability.
How has his long ride inspired change?
about the author
As a child, Laurie Thompson was told, “No one likes a know-it-all.” She had no idea what that meant, but she “would have LOVED to talk to a know-it-all, or better yet, BE a know-it-all!”
Writing nonfiction has given Laurie this opportunity. She can be a know-it-all, studying whatever captures her interest, and share it with others without being annoying like so many of the know-it-alls out there!
Authoring books is not her first career though. Laurie graduated with a degree in Applied Mathematics and worked as a software engineer for many years. She and her husband even founded a successful Internet start-up.
While researching for Emmanuel’s Dream, Laurie had the opportunity to meet and interview Emmanuel. She left the meeting with hours of recorded audio, which she transcribed into 18 pages of typed, single-spaced notes. And she still had follow-up questions!
Laurie lives near Seattle, Washington, with her family.
Sources:
Author website
Author biography: Simon & Schuster
Author interview: Cracking the Cover
Author interview: Kid Lit Frenzy
Also by Laurie Thompson:
My Dog Is the Best. Farrar Straus Giroux (BYR). 2015.
about the illustrator
Sean Qualls is an illustrator who was raised in Bordentown, New Jersey. The small town of just under 5,000 people presented Sean with plenty of opportunities to play in the woods, walk along train tracks, and listen to Kiss records.
After high school, Sean moved to Brooklyn, New York, to attend Pratt Institute. Dropping out after a year and a half, he considers himself “self-educated.” Listening to music, reading, going for long walks, and visiting museums inspire him the most.
Sean lives in Brooklyn, with his wife Selina Alko (also an illustrator) and their two children, Ginger and Isaiah.
Sources:
Illustrator website
Illustrator profile: Blogger
Illustrator interview: Emu’s Debuts
Illustrator interview: Publisher’s Weekly
Also by Sean Qualls:
Two Friends : Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass by Dean Robbins. Orchard Books. 2016.
The Case for Loving : The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko. Arthur A. Levine Books. 2015.
Lullaby : (For a Black Mother) by Langston Hughes. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2013.
Freedom Song : The Story of Henry Box Brown by Sally M. Walker. Harper Collins. 2012.
Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat : Ella Fitzgerald by Roxane Orgill. Candlewick Press. 2010.
Before John Was a Jazz Giant : A Song of John Coltrane by Carole Boston Weatherford. Henry Holt & Company. 2008.
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