All about sign language Talking with your hands

Gr 3-6-With a high-interest format, full-color photos and illustrations, and a solid grasp of its subject matter, this is one of the best books about sign language on the market today. Lowenstein uses stories of real deaf people, such as Helen Keller and Alice Cogswell, to introduce each chapter, and effortlessly weaves the fascinating history of American Sign Language into the narrative. Unlike many books on the subject, this one goes into the linguistic principles of ASL, and also shows that it is a real language. This point, unfortunately, is a bit muddled in other parts of the book in statements that subtly reinforce the widely held misconception that sign language is universal and dependent on spoken language. Also, the time line includes major events in the history of American Sign Language without giving enough information about their significance. Overall, however, this is a well-organized, readable work with an excellent list for further reading to supplement the text.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This book attempts to describe sign language and its history; it also profiles a wide range of notable deaf people, including Helen Keller and Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin. Unfortunately, the choppy text is at times confusing and misleading, and some of the book's images are superfluous, although readers may find the photos of hands demonstrating the manual alphabet helpful. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.