The Map Challenge:A Book about Dyslexia

by Tracy Packiam Alloway, Ana Sanfelippo (Illustrator)

When Sammy's group loses their map on a camping trip, can he use his SEN Superpowers to save the day and lead them safely back to the campsite? SEN Superpowers: The Map Challenge explores the topic of dyslexia with an empowering story and adorable illustrations.

The SEN Superpowers series celebrates the positive traits associated with a range of common SEN (Special Education Needs) conditions, boosting the confidence and strength-awareness of children with those conditions, while also allowing for better understanding and positivity among their peers. Each book includes a page of discussion points about the story, a page of tips for how to boost abilities (inclusive for children with and without special educational needs), and, finally, a further page of notes for parents and teachers. The books feature a dyslexic-friendly font to encourage accessibility and inclusivity for all readers.

Genres: Picture Books

24 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 16, 2019

Reviews

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this SEN Superpowers collection, the authors try to positively present special needs students. The subject can’t be closer to be, having dedicated my professional life to those kids with special needs, but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book, or the other I read from this collection. I find the magical thinking behind it looking like it came out from a fairytale and I didn’t find the representation (positive and negative aspects of it) done or explain well. I wouldn’t recommend that book!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An author who appears to know what she is about in the area of special needs education. Many of our children today still face a number of issues which can inhibit their learning.
Dyslexia is thankfully more recognised and help is available to progress issues around confidence and coping with text to build positive reading.
This book can be seen as inspirational, helpful and encouraging for parents and children alike.
The story builds on the negative and positive traits of Dyslexia that should create better learning outcomes and build self-esteem.
The story is about a camping trip where one of the scout group has Dyslexia. His short-comings and difficulties are transformed by things he finds are his strengths and abilities. Consequently it ends well.
This is a role-play scenario not a life changing event. There is no magical solution but with better understanding this book provides and talking about these issues will help any child and parent to grow together and celebrate the positives.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

.Cute, engaging story with tons of positive information about dyslexia. Well done graphics. Information for educators, parents and interested parties at the end.

[JenReviews4U · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book would give more insight into how a child with dyslexia sees things, like showing examples of how the map looks through their eyes. I really didnt feel that the use of the map came into play much at all. Instead, Sammy uses his visual senses to guide his group back to camp using things he saw on the path instead of the map. My little ones listened to the story but didnt feel one way or another towards it. The author does know what she is taking about in terms of a dyslexic child but I dont feel it gave enough insight into the problem so that a child would understand. Not using a map and relying on visual senses is what alot of children (and adults) do, they are visual learners and can have nothing to do with being dyslexic but here I felt that the story set it up as children with dyslexia are very visual instead of that they see letters and numbers differently. I feel that this story may come off to a child that using visual learning skills is a disability. This is just my take on it and in no way meant to demean dyslexia or the writer. Overall it is a cute story nonetheless.

[Marisa Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracy Packiam Alloway, psicóloga cognitiva británica, ha desarrollado la primera prueba de memoria de trabajo del mundo diseñada para ser utilizada por educadores. Recientemente, se ha convertido en autora de libros infantiles en los que se destacan los superpoderes de los niños con discapacidades de aprendizaje.

Anna Sanfelippo, ilustradora argentina, trabaja como diseñadora gráfica y de patrones y dibujante de letras. Ha sido profesora de Ilustración y Tipografía durante catorce años y ha realizado numerosos talleres de ilustración y caligrafía. A nivel internacional ha colaborado en numerosos libros.

Estas dos profesionales de sus campos se han unido para elaborar una colección de cuentos infantiles educativos titulada "Todos somos especiales". En dicha colección, de la que actualmente cuenta con cuatro volúmenes se tratan temas como Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH), dislexia, ansiedad y autismo. A grandes rasgos la colección trata de presentar cualidades de los niños con Necesidades Educativas Especiales (NEE) para que éstos se reconozcan en las historias y puedan reforzar su autoestima. Del mismo modo, busca favorecer la empatía, el respeto y la comprensión hacia la diversidad.

El estilo narrativo de la obra va dirigido específicamente a los más pequeños, por esa razón el vocabulario es sencillo y accesible y la fuente de la letra se caracteriza por ser redondeada y no ligada, formato que ayuda a los niños con dislexia.

Las ilustraciones, principalmente realizadas con rotuladores y lápices, tienen como protagonistas a unos personajes curiosos, multirraciales, diversos y expresivos. La imagen es amigable y llena de colores vibrantes en tonos pasteles. La artista presenta con ellos un estilo particular y muy distinguible.

Como bien indica el subtítulo de "Pedro y el reto del mapa" en este volumen se trabaja la dislexia. La intencionalidad que tiene la autora es acercar a los más pequeños las características, habilidades y dificultades que presentan las personas con este trastorno.

La trama, llevada a cabo en un campamento, contiene una cantidad de elementos y situaciones que pueden ser conocidos y vividos por la mayoría de los niños, aunque no hayan estado en un campamento también se puede asemejar la situación con una excursión al aire libre. Es un completo acierto ubicar la trama en este contexto para ayudarlos a sentirse identificados y protagonistas de la historia, especialmente si tienen a su alrededor un amigo, compañero, familiar… con dislexia.

De forma genérica e incluido de forma subversiva en la trama, la autora pone de manifiesto algunos comportamientos presentes en la mayoría de niños disléxicos. Rasgos como la dificultad para la interpretación y lectura de textos, deletrear o escribir, una mala orientación espacial o la habilidad para memorizar y el gran potencial que presentan en creatividad o imaginación.

Todo ello tratado con respeto y siempre con una resolución específica a cada uno de los conflictos, ofreciendo, de este modo, ideas y ejemplos de actuación. Además de fomentar aspectos como el trabajo en equipo, la cooperación, la colaboración, la aceptación, la diversidad, el respeto, el amor por la naturaleza o la resolución de conflictos entre otros.

Así mismo, las autoras retratan, mediante texto e imagen, de forma directa, y en cierto modo introspectivo, lo sentimientos y experiencias de un niño que esconde y se avergüenza de su dislexia, lo que genera mayor empatía del lector por el protagonista. De igual forma, el resto del equipo se muestra comprensivo y no juzgan o critican a su compañero por su falta de habilidades, al contrario, alaban su gran capacidad para resolver la cantidad de sorpresas que el camino les va ofreciendo.

Al finalizar el volumen, Alloway, incluye una serie de notas dirigidas a padres y educadores en donde expone, a modo de guía, una serie de cuestiones y reflexiones que puede trabajarse durante la narración con el fin de presentar la dislexia de un modo simple para que los niños lleguen a comprenderla y todos los datos incluidos no pasen desapercibidos. Además, se incluye una serie de recomendaciones sobre actividades que ayuden a levantar la autoestima a estos niños y potencien sus habilidades.

Sin duda alguna lo considero un libro ideal para trabajar en el aula, ya que no solo incluye a la diversidad, sino que presenta una serie de situaciones reales que harán reflexionar a los niños y trabajar las emociones y valores. Cabe destacar que su trabajo en casa facilitará mucho la convivencia en el aula y entornos social más inmediato del niño ya que conlleva un carácter proactivo y un trabajo más profundo en el niño. Especialmente si ese niño presenta dislexia, pues además de topar con un libro ideal para su fácil comprensión lectora se sentirá reconocido en el personaje de Pedro, siendo un posible referente para él debido a la escasez de personajes diversos con este tipo de NEE que ocupan la literatura infantil.

Además de esto, se incluye una propuesta de actividades y recomendaciones para ayudar a los niños disléxicos en su día a día, un recurso que considero ideal para llevar a cabo en el aula como actividades de integración.

El rango de edad al que va dirigido el álbum comprende los años establecidos para la educación infantil, sin embargo, considero que este tipo de limitaciones impiden un acceso menor para todos esos niños que con una buena adaptación por parte del docente puede hacer que cualquier pequeño disfrute, se enriquezca y crezca con este tipo de cuentos.

Personalmente, lo recomiendo abiertamente en todo el ámbito educativo ya que es un libro muy didáctico y necesario para trabajar la diversidad en las aulas creando seres humanos más empáticos y respetuosos con las diferencias.

[Hayley (Backpacking Bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sammy and his friends arrive at scout camp and are off on a flag hunt. Sammy is given the task of map reading. This makes him anxious as he can't read the map - the letters jump about and he doesn't know what to do. His friends laugh and correct him when he makes a mistake. Another team member takes over and the team find their flag. Suddenly, a gust of wind whips their map out of their hands and they are unable to find their way back to camp. That is until Sammy's memory kicks in and he follows the path back to camp based on visual things he noticed on the way to find the flag. They arrive back at camp safely and Sammy is the hero.

I really enjoyed the theme of this book. Sammy has dyslexia and can't read the map. Instead, he uses his visual memory to lead the camp back to safety. It is an educational fiction story with an important theme that many children will relate to. It is also important for children that don't have dyslexia as it provides awareness and indicates how they should approach a friend who may find it difficult to read.

The illustrations are brilliant and engaging, perfectly complimenting the words. They are colourful and catchy and keep the story flowing from one page to the next.

I really enjoyed the final few pages that include resources for parents and teachers. It encourages them to ask the children questions about the story, with plenty of discussion points to teach them about dyslexia and focus on what Sammy CAN do. There are also tips for boosting memory skills which are great ideas for parents and teachers to try with children of all abilities.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Samantha Ledesma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this review section has been so disappointing. I feel like everyone missed the point of the book when they rate this from the perspective of how well it teaches neurotypical students about disabilities. There are a billion and one books that teach students about disabilities and at least half of those of accurate and well-written, so we don't really need more. The real deficit is in regards to the lack of books written FOR neurodivergent and disabled children. They don't want to read about their disabilities; they want to see their disabilities accurately reflected in fun sci-fi adventures and silly shopping mishaps and spooky Halloween thrillers.

The Map Challenge gives that gift to dyslexic students. They can see themselves as the hero without having to sacrifice any of the parts of themselves that make them unique. It's actually his disability that makes him the hero, in this case, which is so empowering for children who have been convinced by the world around them that their disability will only ever hold them back. Tracy Alloway knows what she's talking about and any dyslexic child can see that with the way that Sammy is portrayed.

I'm giving this book five stars because, quite frankly, there is very little in the picture book realm to compare it against. Until that day, I think this book is an amazing read for any child who wants to go on a fun adventure with their superpowers.

Sidenote: I am falling in love with these illustrations. They are absolutely precious.

[E Horak · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am all for improving conversations around all types of conditions. I stutter and have ADHD, and I have family members with dyslexia. I had several issues with this book, both major and minor.

Minor first: there’s a line where Sammy is said to “stammer”. There is no stammering in this line. It’s meant to convey that he’s flustered or nervous. Absolutely terrible representation for stammering/stuttering. And unfortunate to be in a book meant to educate.

Notice I say “meant” to educate, which leads me to my major issue.

Major: This book is not an accurate representation of dyslexia. The confusion between characters doesn’t make sense - like in the stammering line, there’s “we go up this path” and the other child says “no we go down it”. This isn’t left or right- up and down is fairly subjectively when looking at a map.
But worse is the character’s mind being compared to a camera. Not all people with dyslexia have photographic memory. And yet this is THE strength for the child and what ‘makes up’ for his distractedness and struggles. You’ll have people picking up this book excited about using dyslexia as a superpower who will not see themselves or their child in this story. And it furthers a myth which really harms many dyslexia children. Obviously I know it’s a children’s book- but I was very put off by it.

I’m not angry at those behind the book - I think it’s a lack of understanding. But I highly recommend finding a different book to cover dyslexia. This will leave many dyslexic children feeling even worse about themselves.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately underwhelming. The story never really addresses dyslexia, or at least not in the way I was hopign. Sammy says to himself that letters look jumbled, he says one wrong direction, and then he's just distracted for the rest of the book. They end up losing the map, so Sammy's distracted behavior works out for them in that he uses landmarks to find the way... but then that also undermines map reading skills when everyone chants "Who needs a map when we have Sammy!" at the end. Yay Sammy and all, but like... we totally didn't help Sammy with map reading.

And while I'm not dyslexic, I looked up some dyslexic friendly fonts, and is this font actually dyslexia friendly? I'd think that the b's and d's and p's and q's look so similar that they'd be tough to differentiate. The back matter offers no explanation of what makes a font dyslexia friendly nor does it provide references to further resources except the International Dyslexia Association link.

I had high hopes for this book and was prepared to order the rest in the series, but now I'm just expecting to weed it in a few years. Ah well.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway means so well in making this book available, helping dyslexics and the people who love them.

Sammy, the hero of this book, is a sweet character. And I do mean the hero of this book, becauase the happy ending to this tale (alone) is a good reason to buy this book and read it often, if your child has dyslexia.

With generous notes and discussion points at the end, this picture book makes an excellent resource for future helping. Of course, I'll give this book FIVE STARS.

STILL, I CAN'T RESIST MENTIONING

If you suspect that your elementary school child (or older child) has a learning disability... one thing American public schools generally can do very well is to test children and then come up with a plan to help that child to live well regardless.

A real live teacher, or school counselor, trained to help your child -- one personal lesson at a time -- could make a world of difference. Far more than any picture book, no matter how brilliant. (And I'd call this book "brilliant.")

So if your child hasn't been tested yet, or isn't receiving appropriate help, speak up!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sammy, a dyslexic child, was given a map and assigned to follow it to get to the campsite. He panicked, as the images swam before his eyes. He misread the map and led the children in the wrong direction. After the children become truly lost from more wrong turns, Sammy remembers all that he had seen along the way, and finally leads all the children safely back to camp through his recollections. Sammy ends up being the hero.
This wonderful book not only informs children about problems experienced by the dyslexic child, but it also shows the ‘gifts’ of memory and creativity that result from this disorder.

At the end of the story, there are notes to aid in classroom discussion as well as facts about dyslexia and ways to cope with it. There is also a list of ways to improve your memory to be more like Sammy.

This is a helpful and compassionate book. The illustrations, however, are strange looking, and the colors are unappealing as well.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Terrie Case · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sammy is asked to be the navigator at scout camp. He tries to read it but gets everyone near a snorting bull. After Tim complains, Daisy takes the map and off the group goes. Except for Sammy. He gets distracted by nature. Soon the group is searching for the flag that should be on the bridge. It is Sammy who discovers the flag on the side of the bridge peeking out of a bush. The map is suddenly whipped up by the wind and ends up in the river. Sammy is able to lead the group out based on the things he discovered while enjoying nature.

The muted illustrations are perfect to allow the reader to focus on the story. Good lessons abound about everyone having good qualities even if they are not good at other things, working together and not making fun of other people.


I received an ARC from Quarto Publishing through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily providing a review.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This illustrated short story is written with kids who have dyslexia in mind. The publisher notes that the font is one that is more easily read by kids who have dyslexia.

It is summer and time for camp. Sammy and his fellow campers are given the task of finding their group's red flag. Sammy, who has dyslexia, is assigned to read the map. This causes him understandable anxiety but he tries to trudge through. Of course, there are issues, the group gets lost and then, Sammy's highly tuned, visual memory helps to save the day!

This book may well appeal to children who face similar challenges. It also gently reminds other children to not tease and recognize everyone's skills. There is a helpful section for adults at the end of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e galley in exchange for my honest review.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy on a camping trip with his scouts is given the job of reading the map and leading his group. He is mocked by another child when he held the map upside down. He doubts himself a bit, but still notices his surroundings along the way and he finds the flag they were sent to find. Suddenly a wind whisks the map away and the children fear they are lost, but this boy's memory of things along the way allow them to return to camp.

I like the backmatter that explains dyslexia challenges as well as skills common with people who are dyslexic. I liked the questions that guide teachers and parents as they share this story. Certainly worthwhile for any classroom diversity study or to have in the room to support children dealing with dyslexia.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Company through NetGalley.
Alloway offers some positive reinforcement for Dyslexic children. Her characters are on a camping trip and Sammy is assigned as the navigator for his team. He struggles to read the map and leads them the wrong way. Someone else takes over. This was a difficult moment but Alloway spins some positives by focusing on what Sammy is good at. In the end, he saves the day by leading them back to their campsite based on the visual memories he created.
Dyslexic friendly fonts.
Information provided at the end of the book - both memory exercises and discussion questions.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Map Challenge, Sammy and his fellow scouts complete a trek through the woods. Their adventure emphasizes the characters' different strengths. The illustrations were cute. I appreciate the diversity in the characters. The author included parent notes and solid discussion points. Thanks Quarto Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. It explains Dyslexia really well. It's not dumbed down for kids and presents a very understandable example. Maybe it would be good for adults to read , too, if they live or work with dyslexic children. Illustrations were nicely done.
I located this book on my library shelf as I couldn't download a copy to my Kindle.

[Fatima Seraj Alam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a cute story with illustrations that captured my daughter’s attention but she is only three so I don’t know if she understood the concept of dyslexia through the book. Might reborrow at a later stage.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming story that gives a lesson to young children that everyone has their own strength and weaknesses and we should not judge one another for being different. Very nicely illustrated.