About this item
Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah's inspiring true story - which was turned into a film, Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey - is nothing short of remarkable. Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people - but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled. Thompson's lyrical prose and Qualls's bold collage illustrations offer a powerful celebration of triumphing over adversity.
About the Author
Laurie Ann Thompson grew up in rural northern Wisconsin, where there are more cows than people. A former software engineer, she now writes for children and young adults to help her readers--and herself--make better sense of the world we live in. She strives to write nonfiction that gives wings to active imaginations and fiction that taps into our universal human truths. She is co-author? of the Two Truths and a Lie series? and author of several award-winning nonfiction books, including the teen how-to guide, Be a Changemaker, and Emmanuel's Dream, a picture book biography about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, which was the recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award and was named an ALA Notable Children's Book and a CCBC Choice, among other accolades. She lives with her family outside Seattle, and you can visit her online at lauriethompson.com.
