Mandy Sue Day

This elegant prose poem, illustrated with realistic watercolor paintings, tells how a blind girl, using her senses of taste, hearing, touch, and smell, enjoys a special day with her horse, Ben.

Using her senses of taste, hearing, touch, and smell, a blind girl enjoys a special day on the farm.

This elegant prose poem, illustrated with realistic watercolor paintings, tells how a blind girl, using her senses of taste, hearing, touch, and smell, enjoys a special day with her horse, Ben.

Children's Literature

What a terrific book! The parents in this story support their child's desire to live a normal life, even when she has a physical handicap-in this case, blindness. And what a wonderful idea, giving children a day that is free of chores and then naming the day on their behalf. Each child gets to choose how he or she wants to spend the day. Younger readers will come to understand the close friendship that can exist between someone their own age and an animal; here it's a wise horse named Ben. Mandy Sue has decided to spend her day with Ben. The beautiful and detailed watercolors seem to glow and reflect the happiness found in the face of this very special girl.

Born outside Cincinnati, Ohio, Roberta Karim grew up in the country, surrounded by wooded hills, wildflowers, and horses. As a child and young adult, she had the opportunity to travel extensively, visiting 28 countries in all. She graduated from high school at the International School of Brussels in Belgium and spent her first two years of college at John Cabot International College in Rome, Italy. Coming home to reverse culture shock, Roberta graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a bachelor's degree in English Literature. She then proceeded to graduate school at Purdue University, where she earned a master's degree in English Literature and Composition. While at Purdue, Roberta taught Freshman and Remedial Composition, and English as a Second Language. At the other end of the spectrum, she has taught pre-schoolers for 8 years.