Happy Ever Afters - disability awareness in children's storybooks - based on the book Happy Ever Afters.
DICSEY Example - an easy reader picture book
Giraffes Can't Dance written by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees
1999 Orchard Books ISBN 1-86039-918-5
An easy reader picture book with rhythmic, thought-provoking verse and expressive illustrations that tell how Giraffe is good at munching trees but not at dancing with the other jungle animals who all laugh at him. Cricket tells Giraffe to listen for music in the breeze and Giraffe creates a dance they all want to try.
This shows DICSEY elements Disability, Image,Society and Enable. It broadens a story about a 'disabled' character (Giraffe) beyond the obvious issue of self-esteem to explore social conventions and how they impact on individual situations.
If needed, a quick link to 'An Introduction to the DICSEY Code' is here.
Giraffe can't dance with the other animals.
Question: Why? Answer: Their dances were too muscular and jerky to suit Giraffe's graceful legs, because he was a different shape. This made him disabled in their company (society). Question: Why did all the animals laugh when Lion made fun of Giraffe? Answer: They didn't think about how Giraffe would feel or how they could include (enable) him in their dancing. They all wanted to be friends with Lion and didn't want to seem different themselves, in case the laughter was turned on them.
Lion calls Giraffe a fool.
Question: What does 'fool' mean? Answer: It is an old word to describe an entertainer who tries make us laugh. It now means someone who behaves in a way that the greatest number of people (society) think is not right for the situation, because they act in another way. Sometimes this can mean the person who is called a fool does not understand, or know, how to act when they are with other people, which can be an invisible disability or a mental health disturbance, but more often it means that those who are laughing at them do not understand why the person is acting strangely. They react to the image without thinking, or taking the time to find out what the situation really is.
Giraffe feels useless.
Question: Why didn't Giraffe tell the other animals what sort of dance would suit him better? Answer: He was the 'odd one out' - another interesting phrase - the other animals kept telling him so, and he came to think it himself. He forgot all the things he was good at that the other animals couldn't do. It is very hard to be happy with yourself and to ask others to include you when they all forget that everyone is equal (society) and seem to be happier without you. This is why disabled people need rights.
Cricket tells Giraffe about music.
Question: How did the tiny insect cricket enable lofty Giraffe? Answer: He had noticed and understood Giraffe's situation, and knew natural music would suit Giraffe's body. Cricket used his different experience to show Giraffe what his abilities really were.
The other animals wanted to dance like Giraffe.
Question: How did Giraffe enable all the other animals? Answer: He told them to listen to the music. He gave them another dance and, if they decide to include him in the future, opened more new possibilities to them.
The other animals thought Giraffe's dancing was a 'miracle'.
Religious education teachers can cope with the implications of this one on their own!
Above all, let children enjoy the book!
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© K. Saunders 2000/2001