Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Non Wels
Written by Laurie Ann Thompson
Illustrated by Sean Qualls
Schwartz & Wade, 2015
2018-2019 Nominee - Picture Books for Older Readers
Synopsis
Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah's inspiring true story—which was turned into a film, Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey—is nothing short of remarkable.
Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.