Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6- This photographic testimony to Keller's life is best-suited for piquing readers' interest about the remarkable woman. It chronicles her life through 72 thoughtfully chosen photographs and documents, each with brief captions that serve as a logical progression of her life from infancy through her 80s. While many of the biographies about her include photographs, Sullivan's selections and the chronological flow allow students to visualize the determination and perseverance that characterized Keller's life, and to appreciate the amazing scope of her accomplishments. The layout of the book is beautiful, with simbraille (a print representation of braille characters) used alongside each page number and caption heading. The author's focus is primarily on the work that Keller did as an adult, inspiring people around the world through her public speaking and political activism. While basic information about her childhood is included in the captions, this book does not go into detail about the remarkable transformation that Anne Sullivan wrought in the troubled and angry child. Students looking for a source that combines abundant photographs with a more detailed narrative can be directed to Leslie Garrett's Helen Keller: A Photographic Story of a Life (DK, 2004). Sullivan's end matter includes a list of several organizations that are carrying on Keller's work, and the incorporation of contact information for great-grandniece Keller Johnson Thompson, who currently serves as Ambassador for the American Foundation for the Blind, gives a satisfying feel of continuity.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA