I AM NOT A LABEL

English actor Burnell highlights the accomplishments of disabled people past and present.

“Everyone deserves to see someone like them in a story or achieving something great,” notes the author, who was born with one hand. To that end, she introduces a multiracial group of 34 noteworthy disabled people—with disabilities ranging from Down syndrome and spina bifida to depression and Crohn’s disease—from around the world, using identity-first language and a straightforward, upbeat tone. Subjects include such historical figures as Deaf and blind American author Helen Keller and such contemporary trailblazers as fashion model Aaron Philip, a Caribbean trans woman with cerebral palsy, and Indian mountaineer Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee to scale Mount Everest. Their faces radiate joy and determination in Baldo’s energetic, warmly hued illustrations. However, the layout is somewhat busy and uneven. Each name is announced in a different typeface, ranging from stylized block letters to ornate script. Though most subjects receive an individual page of text and a full-page facing illustration, those grouped under the separate headings of “Mental Health,” “Hidden Disabilities,” and “Paralympic Stars” share two pages per category, sporting shorter profiles and smaller illustrations. Though the book’s wide geographical range provides much-needed intersectional representation, keeping track of such a large group may tax some readers’ attention spans. Nonetheless, readers with and without disabilities will enjoy meeting talented disabled people who’ve thrived in eclectic occupations.

Though brief, these optimistic profiles will encourage readers to “shine [their] own light.”