Little People: Learning to See the World Through My Daughter's Eyes

I love this book, As a parent of a 14 month old boy with dwarfism, recently adopted from Liberia ( not yet home unfortunately) I've been trying to learn and read as much as I can about dwarfism. This is the first and only book ( so far)I've read on the subject. It is so well written and I love how he goes from his own personal story to many other personal stories of people with dwarfim.
Although I do not agree with his implied view of God and Biblical religion, I find his thoughts insightful and thought provoking. I have bought 2 more of these books to give as gifts this year.
Thank you Dan Kennedy!

Dan Kennedy author grapples honestly and agonizingly with the conflict between our culture of diversity, the reality of disability, and every parent's wish for a healthy typical child. With its intertwining of memoir and social commentary, it is at once a captivating and enlightening read skillfully crafted by award wining journalist Dan Kennedy.

The author's purpose is to find purpose and meaning in his daughter's life. He was determined for it to be positive and upbeat. Meanwhile his wife was more focused on her daughter's day to day care including the medical crisis of her early life when Becky was near death and required a tracheotomy to survive. The author's honest acknowledgment of these divergent viewpoints is but one example of his penetrating insight into the complexities of his family life.

The reader is challenged to consider the contrast between genetic difference and genetic defect in a society which says that differences are good and defects are bad. Can one person's defect be another person's difference? What are the moral and ethical implications of eliminating differences ranging from dwarfism to Down syndrome and beyond to manic depression, homosexuality, etc. through designer genetics? What will be the impact upon society? Kennedy explores dwarfism from ancient times, when dwarfs were revered in some cultures, to modern eras where they were featured in freak shows and treated as guinea pigs by Nazi scientists. Through a historical perspective he helps the reader to grasp that there has never been a better time to be outside the mainstream and to embrace one's identity-whether one is physically or mentally challenged or gay. Yet most parents do not wish these differences for their children, and the Kennedys would not have chosen dwarfism for their daughter.

The disability consciousness of our present era sprang to life in the second half of the twentieth century on the ashes of Dachau and Auschwitz, where millions of Jews, homosexuals, and people with disabilities were exterminated. As an antidote to American self-righteousness, the author reminds us of the eugenics movement which was led by the United States and Great Britain in the early part of the twentieth century and mandated the sterilization of people with mental retardation and mental illness. The Nazis of course took this a giant step further because there was no respect for individual rights or checks and balances to keep eugenic impulses at least in some control.

Throughout the book, Kennedy helps us to visit his conundrum where he is held in the grip of two opposing ideas-that, on the one hand, his child is imperfect and different and will always be, while on the other hand, Becky is perfect just as she is. As the parent of an adult child with autism, I understand Kennedy's dilemma all to well. It is a Rubik's cube for a society that includes and celebrates differences-where the solutions to the puzzle are individual and unique. Through his involvement with the Little People of America and his vivid accounts of interviews with numerous adult dwarfs, Kennedy leads his reader to a deeper appreciation for diversity.

As a fellow parent and writer, what I value most about Little People is the author's openness and integrity in looking at the hard facts of his family's life. He does not escape for long into the world of intellect and social commentary. He does not deny how hard it can be to care for the needs of a sick child, particularly on his wife, Barbara, who he observes to have some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder even years after Becky could breathe on her own. As a father, when he tells Becky, that there is nothing wrong with being a dwarf, it doesn't ring true for her. Her differences are a problem for her in navigating the world such as when younger children don't believe she is older than them or when she imagines who will want to date her. So there are no easy answers, no platitudes to hide behind-Kennedy is left with the simple and profound challenge to just be the best father he can for Becky. And his readers are left with a dose of compassion and shared wisdom.

Robert Naseef, Ph.D. is a psychologist specializing in families of children with special needs in the Philadelphia area and on the Internet at www.specialfamilies.com. He is the author of Special Children, Challenged Parents: The Struggles and Rewards of Raising a Child With a Disability (2001, Brookes Publishing)
Special Children, Challenged Parents: The Struggles and Rewards of Raising a Child With a Disability

A well-written and interesting look at the human side of dwarfism, including dwarfism's repercussions to the individual and family members. Author Dan Kennedy has made a concerted effort to include as many facets of dwarfism as possible, things that others can never know without reading a book like this. This book is not just for little people themselves and families involved with dwarfism, but doctors and other healthcare professionals, teachers, therapists, and anyone interested in learning more about the strength of the human spirit. A very engaging and worthwhile book!

Dans book is a must read for anyone with an interest in Dwarfism, be it a family member, friend or collegue or just a general interest. There is something for everyone, the heartfelt journey of Dan`s daughter, Becky as she spends her early years hooked to machines due to her achondroplasia and her growth into a young woman continues throughout, and inbetween the reader is introduced to other topics relating to dwarfism including the history of dwarfism, the Little People of America, Medical Doctors, Religious questioning to name a few.
I found it hard to put the book down once I had started to read it. As an average height parent with a child with achondroplasia myself I found the book a very valuable read and I learnt a lot, the book also leads the way for further research if one so wishes.

One month ago I bought this book here on Amazon and it was my intention to keep it on the bookshelf gathering dust until semester break when it would be my reading material for the flight home. I briefly cracked it open & thought I could peek at the opening paragraph just to get a sense of the book then put it down. WRONG! It sucked me in and for the next 2 days I ignored all my classwork in order to finish it. Without an ounce of hyperbole this is the best book about dwarfs & dwarfism, our community and our history I have read. It is well written, interesting, informative, and respectful but without ever inching towards the "Super-Crip" mentality so many books about people of difference tend to fall into.

This is a wonderful book and I encourage everyone to read it. When finished, I encourage people to pass it onto others who know nothing about dwarfism in order to teach people of our history. To those in school, pass it onto your office of students with disabilities and the professors who teach classes in multicultural issues. I hope that someday Becky will realize this is a love letter her father has written to and about her.