Taking a rest is fun in a picture book that embraces disability
By Louise Kinross
Sam is a Black girl with an irrepressible zest for life and the protagonist in Sam's Super Seats, a book about friendship and listening to your body. Sam has cerebral palsy and when she gets tired, she knows she has to sit down to rest. "Super seats" are a part of Sam's routine. For example, there's Misty, the elegant pink couch she names after dancer Misty Copeland. While Sam rests, Sam and Misty love to do pirouettes together and play "I Spy." Sam's Super Seats is written by Keah Brown, an American author and journalist. Her book The Pretty One documented her own experiences with ableism growing up. Read our earlier interview.
BLOOM: Why is there a need for a book like this?
Keah Brown: Because there aren't a lot of them. In the rare case when we see a children's book about disabled children it usually comes from the perspective of the parent or caretaker. I was eager to create a book where not only is the main character disabled, she's a little Black girl who has the support of her family and friends and she tells her own story. Maybe it will help kids with disabilities who want to grow up to be writers feel confident that one day they can write a book that matters to people.
BLOOM: Sam, the central character, looks like you. Did you write the book based on your childhood experiences?
Keah Brown: I wish that were the case. It's sweet that we share our glasses and a gap in our teeth. The things Sam and I have in common are we're extroverts and we're excited about learning and doing things. I was so desperate as a kid to see a Black disabled girl in a book I was reading, and I never did. I had great friends growing up, but I never had Sam's kind of best friends, so the book is more like wish fulfillment for me.
BLOOM: The girls in the book don't mind sitting down when Sam says she needs a rest. Did you have friends as a child who weren't understanding?
Keah Brown: When I was growing up I never really said when I needed a rest. I never took the time to listen to my body. I grew up thinking I had to keep up with everyone. I did have friends who, when I pushed past my limits, said it's totally okay, we'll take a second.
But I wasn't confident enough to say 'Let me stop and take a rest.' I was a kid who thought taking breaks and resting made me somehow less than my peers, and I was afraid of being different. I ended up pushing through a lot of pain and being worse for the wear.
I wanted to make sure Sam knows she needs to rest and there's nothing wrong with needing it.
BLOOM: Did you used to name seats when you were a child? That part of the book really humanizes your situation and makes it fun and endearing.
Keah Brown: I've always named my seats secretly, but I wasn't as vocal about naming them until I was much older. Sometimes they were random names of people I saw on TV or read about in a book. I felt like they were my friends. I try to view Sam's seats as extensions of who she is.
As a child I didn't feel confident enough to take the time to rest and relish that time of comfort, like I do now as an adult. Nothing beats a comfortable seat.
BLOOM: What are some key messages you hope children take from the book?
Keah Brown: The larger message is that rest is your right and rest is also an adventure. It's okay to take some time to listen to your body when you need a break, whether you're disabled or not. It's okay to take a moment, to take a breather, and to know you don't have to be in constant motion all the time.
It's also important to know that it's okay to ask for what you need. I want it to be clear that Sam knows what she needs and can ask for it and it's okay if you have things that make you different, whether it's a disability or maybe you're left-handed. Anything that makes you different is part of your unique story. I hope this book allows you to celebrate your uniqueness.
BLOOM: I like how some of Sam's differences are apparent in the images, but aren't always spoken about. For example, when I read the book with my granddaughter, she didn't notice that Sam's fingers are a bit bent. The first time I read the book, I didn't notice the store sign about accessible clothing. I think there are many little touches and clues about disability and difference that can be discovered each time the child reads the book. Did you intend that?
Keah Brown: I did, yes. We wanted to show kids and parents how easy it is to integrate this into the book. For Sam, and for so many kids like her, it's not a big production, it's just part of her everyday life. I wanted to showcase that Sam needs Velcro closures or elastic waist bands, but her friends can also use them as well.
When they get to the mall and they're trying on clothes I thought it would be cool if some of the clothes were adaptive, and we see all the girls looking at the different racks because access isn't just for disabled people and kids. It's for everyone. I loved those books as a kid where you'd notice something new every time you read it.
BLOOM: The story is about going back to school shopping with your friends for cute outfits. But Sam defines the word cute more broadly. Can you explain?
Keah Brown: For Sam, cute means feeling good. When you feel good you look good. It's not just about wearing cute clothes and cute hairstyles, though that's a part of it. She loves a good outfit and hairdo. It's about feeling good about herself and feeling like she's ready to take on the world. She's excited to learn about what life has to offer.
For me as an adult, the word cute means feeling good about myself and my body. But it's not just for me. If I feel good it radiates out so other people share that, too.
BLOOM: What was most challenging about bringing this book to market?
Keah Brown: Children's books are such a wide-ranging genre. As a first-time children's book author you're competing with all of the classic books you read growing up, like Dr. Seuss. You're hoping readers will find your book.
When you're writing about a character who is in marginalized groups—being Black, being a little girl, being disabled—it's a little harder to get people to read those books without them first having some sort of experience in one of those identities.
Even though I have a team of people who believe in me, it's so much more work to get people to look at the book and see it and give it a chance. Some people will say 'I don't know anyone disabled or 'I don't know any kid who is of colour.' I want people to know this book has something for everyone.
BLOOM: I read that you are working on some other projects?
Keah Brown: I have a young adult book called The Secret Summer Promise coming out next summer. I'm also co-writing a musical, which is so much fun. And I'm thinking about ways I could do a sequel to Sam's Super Seats.
Sam's Super Seats is targeted to kids aged four to eight. Like this interview? Sign up for our monthly BLOOM e-letter. You'll get family stories and expert advice on raising children with disabilities; interviews with activists, clinicians and researchers; and disability news.
