With Selected Sentences in American Sign Language
Robert Newby
| Read a review. |
$22.95t
|
From Disability Studies Quarterly
This book offers a charming retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne's original tale with selected sentences shown in American Sign Language. Newby, a former teacher at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, also includes an introduction to American Sign Language with topics such as finger spelling, using the face and body to communicate meaning, describing shapes, and hand shapes. Some pages within the story also offer further instruction on ASL and Deaf culture with descriptions of tense and name signs.
For families with a child who is deaf and those interested in learning American Sign Language, this is a wonderful book. I have, however, a few caveats. Children will need help following the introduction to ASL. Also, for people not used to interpreting drawings of signs, they can be difficult to interpret, though the book offers some guidance on this, too. The most serious drawbacks of the book are that only one sentence of each page is signed and the ASL grammar is sometimes influenced by English grammar, though this, admittedly, is easier to follow for many new signers.
The illustrations in the book, by Dawn Majewski and Sandra Cozzolino, are excellent. Facial expressions of signs are clearly portrayed as is some very artistic signing such as the sun streaming through a window.
This review is based only on the book. I have not seen the videotape, but I suspect the book is better for learning signs when combined with the tape. For families with a deaf family member, this is a book that parents and children can enjoy together. For students of American Sign Language, this is a colorful, beautifully illustrated book for learning a few new signs.
ISBN 978-0-930323-75-2, 8½ x 11 casebound, 72 pages, full-color illustrations, line drawings
$22.95t
TEL 1-800-621-2736; (773) 568-1550 8 am - 5 pm CST
TTY 1-888-630-9347
FAX 1-800-621-8476; (773) 660-2235