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I Am a Masterpiece!

An Empowering Story About Inclusivity and Growing Up with Down Syndrome

Author Mia Armstrong
Illustrated by Alexandra Thompson
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Hardcover
$19.99 US
RH Childrens Books | Random House Books for Young Readers
10.25"W x 10.25"H x 0.39"D  
On sale Jan 09, 2024 | 40 Pages | 9780593567975
Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile AD520L | Fountas & Pinnell M
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Tween actress Mia Armstrong celebrates her fun, funny, beautiful childhood living with Down syndrome in this debut picture book.

Don’t miss Mia in A Christmas in New Hope, streaming now!

Mia likes many of the things other people like--going to the beach, the color blue, drawing. But she doesn't like when strangers stare at her because she looks different from them.

Down syndrome allows Mia to see and understand the world in a way that may not make sense to others. She considers it her superpower--and instead of it making her strange, she considers herself a masterpiece. As we all are.

In this sparkling picture book, Mia offers a glimpse into the life of a child with Down syndrome, helping some readers see themselves in a book and helping others understand those friends, classmates, and family members who are neurodivergent.
Mia Armstrong is a SAG-AFTRA actress, model, and voiceover artist who once declared in a Good Morning America interview that Down syndrome is her superpower--and she’s proving that to be true.

Mia will star in her first feature film, Christmas in New Hope, which hits streamers this Christmas. She has also starred in the Apple TV show Hello Jack, Muppet Babies, and Disney’s YouTube series The Disney Princess Club. In her modeling work, Mia has appeared in ads for Tommy Hilfiger, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Walgreens, Samsung, Cheerios, Chase, and Nickelodeon. She made history as the first child with Down syndrome to voice a cartoon character on Netflix. Mia has appeared on The View, MSNBC, and The Tamron Hall Show.

Mia is changing the way intellectual disabilities and differences are perceived as she fights for inclusion and against discrimination. Mia is a prolific artist who draws and paints daily, and her art has inspired Owtside The Box, an apparel company featuring the art of individuals with Down syndrome. Mia lives in California with her parents and brother. This is her first book. View titles by Mia Armstrong
© Kate Michaud Photography
Alexandra Thompson is the creator of A Family for Louie and the illustrator of Ben & Emma’s Big Hit by California governor Gavin Newsom and I Am a Masterpiece! by actress and Down syndrome advocate Mia Armstrong. When she’s not in the studio, she can be found exploring the great state of Maine, where she lives with her family. Visit her online at alexandraco.com and follow her on Instagram @alexandraco_illustration. View titles by Alexandra Thompson

Educator Guide for I Am a Masterpiece!

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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"A celebration of self-advocacy, self-expression, and self-acceptance." —Kirkus Reviews

"Thompson’s delicate pencil and gouache renderings amplify the emotion that infuses the text’s vision of external patience and self-love." —Publishers Weekly

"A touching and unique story about accepting oneself and others." —School Library Journal
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About

Tween actress Mia Armstrong celebrates her fun, funny, beautiful childhood living with Down syndrome in this debut picture book.

Don’t miss Mia in A Christmas in New Hope, streaming now!

Mia likes many of the things other people like--going to the beach, the color blue, drawing. But she doesn't like when strangers stare at her because she looks different from them.

Down syndrome allows Mia to see and understand the world in a way that may not make sense to others. She considers it her superpower--and instead of it making her strange, she considers herself a masterpiece. As we all are.

In this sparkling picture book, Mia offers a glimpse into the life of a child with Down syndrome, helping some readers see themselves in a book and helping others understand those friends, classmates, and family members who are neurodivergent.

Author

Mia Armstrong is a SAG-AFTRA actress, model, and voiceover artist who once declared in a Good Morning America interview that Down syndrome is her superpower--and she’s proving that to be true.

Mia will star in her first feature film, Christmas in New Hope, which hits streamers this Christmas. She has also starred in the Apple TV show Hello Jack, Muppet Babies, and Disney’s YouTube series The Disney Princess Club. In her modeling work, Mia has appeared in ads for Tommy Hilfiger, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Walgreens, Samsung, Cheerios, Chase, and Nickelodeon. She made history as the first child with Down syndrome to voice a cartoon character on Netflix. Mia has appeared on The View, MSNBC, and The Tamron Hall Show.

Mia is changing the way intellectual disabilities and differences are perceived as she fights for inclusion and against discrimination. Mia is a prolific artist who draws and paints daily, and her art has inspired Owtside The Box, an apparel company featuring the art of individuals with Down syndrome. Mia lives in California with her parents and brother. This is her first book. View titles by Mia Armstrong
© Kate Michaud Photography
Alexandra Thompson is the creator of A Family for Louie and the illustrator of Ben & Emma’s Big Hit by California governor Gavin Newsom and I Am a Masterpiece! by actress and Down syndrome advocate Mia Armstrong. When she’s not in the studio, she can be found exploring the great state of Maine, where she lives with her family. Visit her online at alexandraco.com and follow her on Instagram @alexandraco_illustration. View titles by Alexandra Thompson

Guides

Educator Guide for I Am a Masterpiece!

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More

Praise

"A celebration of self-advocacy, self-expression, and self-acceptance." —Kirkus Reviews

"Thompson’s delicate pencil and gouache renderings amplify the emotion that infuses the text’s vision of external patience and self-love." —Publishers Weekly

"A touching and unique story about accepting oneself and others." —School Library Journal

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