Customer Reviews
wonderful book for a older brother or sister 
2007-02-11
This book is written about one child but covers so many children. Get this book for your older brother or sister or a younger child who is old enough to get the idea that his/her sib had autism.
Walk Right In... 2006-03-18
...to an excellent book about autism!
This book is of extraordinary caliber. First of all, I like the fact that it features a black family and that there also exists a Spanish translation of this book. Hats off to recognizing that autism is an equal opportunity condition. I want more stories like this that feature families of different races and by being more accessible by having a Spanish translation.
Keisha, 3 has been diagnosed with autism. She has a sister who is 9 and naturally baffled by autistic behaviors. Luckily, Keisha's family opts for early intervention. Keisha sees Ms. Sherri, a speech therapist who uses sign language; hand to face and working with Keisha on making eye contact. Readers see this through Ms. Sherri's standpoint while also recognizing what the child's family lives with on a routine basis. There is a lot of adjustment to be made in a family upon having a member diagnosed with autism.
I love the illustrations. This book is of extraordinary caliber. Keisha is a beautiful little girl who is black and has thick, curly ringlets. Looking at Keisha's facial expressions, more so than those of her family is far more helpful to a person with autism in decoding facial expressions.
This book is an excellent teaching tool for all ages. The bilingual format is especially helpful to any population, especially those with a high percentage of Spanish speaking people.
This book makes me think of the 1980 Pete Townshend gem, "Let My Love Open the Door (to your heart)" and the old folk classic, "Walk Right In." Readers walk right in to an excellent and realistic portrayal of autism. This book will certainly open up many doors to many minds about autism and how it is perceived.
Keisha's Doors 2005-11-18
Siblings of children with autism often struggle with understanding what autism is and why they don't have the same sibling relationship that their friends have with their brothers or sisters. Keisha's Doors and Marvie Ellis' Tacos Anyone? both offer a glimpse into the autistic child's world that a sibling can understand. I also like that Ellis used a therapist character in her books to illustrate how a sibling might try and interact with their autistic brother or sister.
A great pick for siblings of autistic children! 2005-09-19
Once again the author,Marvie Ellis,has done a great job! There are so few books that are written for siblings of autistic children.Autism effects all members of the family and especially the relationship between siblings.This story brings to life real and true issues that families are faced with.I would also recommend "Taco's Anyone?" also written by Marvie Ellis,Definately is a must read!
A "Must Have" for educators, family, & friends! 2005-08-28
From the beautiful artistry of Jenny Loehr to the wonderful story created in the touching voice of a child wanting so much to connect with a sibling, Marvie Ellis has provided a splendid resource for all. Though it is a tool, the joy that the reader feels at being able to connect with Keisha is awesome!
Wow - what a great book! 2007-08-21
This book is a great tool to help siblings, other family members and non-relatives (including teachers and students) to understand some of the world of kids with autism. This is a very touching story deserving of the acclaim it has received and more. Schools systems would do well to include this book in their libraries. Great story and illustrations! Great work!
A story to help children and parents alike cope with communication challenges 2007-06-29
Author Marvie Ellis, pediatric speech-language pathologist, founded Speech Kids Texas Press in 2005 for to publish children's storybooks on communication needs. Kiesha's Doors is a bilingual storybook in which English and Spanish text appear simultaneously on the same page. This technique reinforces to children and adults alike the multicultural nature of the modern world we live in, and seeing other languages on the same page may encourage children to explore secondary languages. I think this technique is superior to the alternative of publishing two separate translations. Children's brains easily learn multiple languages, so why not give them as much exposure as possible?
In Kiesha's Doors (Las Puertas de Keisha), 2 year-old Kiesha has stopped communicating with her family, become a picky eater, and taken to a favorite rocking chair. Kiesha parents and her older sister Monica (age 9) learn that she has autism, and they must adapt their communication style to reach Kiesha (to "open her doors"). The story is not just about Monica's adjustment to life with Kiesha, but about the Mom and Dad's journey to get a diagnosis and learn how to relate to their child. It is truly a family story, and it raises important diagnosis questions as well as coping skills. The illustrations are vibrant crayon-style (I loved the way the eyes and faces glow!).
Every library should invest in a copy of this book, and every child and parent should read it at least once, to learn about dealing with people who communicate differently from ourselves.
A profoundly beneficial look at autism through the eyes of a child 2007-05-02
Marvie Ellis is providing a great service to a significant number of people with her Autism Story Books. If you're like me, you know less about autism than you think you do - unless and until someone in your life is born autistic. And if we adults don't really understand what autism is and is not, imagine how hard it would be for a young child to understand it all. Keisha's Doors is told from the perspective of just such a child, a nine-year-old girl who doesn't understand why her three-year-old sister Keisha won't play with her or speak when spoken to. When Keisha is diagnosed with autism, we are there with her family as the doctor and therapist explain what this means and begin to teach them techniques for establishing better communication with the little girl.
The conventional, knee-jerk reaction to a diagnosis of autism would probably be one of alarm and grief, and I'm sure one of the author's purposes in writing this book is to dispel such notions. Here, Keisha's condition is described in terms even her nine-year-old sister can understand: Keisha has certain mental "doors" that are closing her off from some of the people and things around her, and she just needs help opening up some of those closed doors. Rather than tearing the family apart, the situation actually brings them closer together. Now, even Keisha's sister understands why Keisha is different - she even knows a little bit about how to go about helping her expand her awareness.
This is a very positive, heart-warming look at a family caring in the proper way for an autistic child. The story itself is printed in both English and Spanish, while Jenny Loehr's beautiful illustrations speak volumes in and of themselves. Put it all together, and you have a wonderful book - perhaps the only one of its kind - designed to reach as many different people as possible with its important message. I learned something about autism myself in these pages, and I'm sure anyone with any kind of connection to an autistic child will benefit from this book - and Marvie Ellis' succeeding Autism Story Books - immensely.
VALUABLE AS WELL AS DELIGHTFUL - WELL DONE! 2007-04-06
This is another wonderful tool given to us by the author Marvie Ellis and the illustrator/artist, Jenny Loehr. The author uses a little girl, the older sister of an autistic child, Keisha. This is very effective! The author certainly has a way of taking a very complex subject, and through her use of words, bringing that subject to the level that a child is able to understand. I loved her concept of "closed doors" and "opening doors." This is quite understandable to a child, and indeed, an adult faced with this devastating condition. Well done! The author takes us step by step through the process of identifying the condition, its treatment and, again, does it in a way that a young person can well understand.
I was delighted, and in fact thrilled, to see this work presented in both Spanish and English, together between two covers. Over the past five years our area of the country has gone through a change with the influx of Spanish speaking people. Our resources were, and are quite thin, and I am sorry to say, quite limited. Books such as this go along way in correcting this situation. My daughter, a first grade teacher, is faced with this language (and indeed, autistic children) problem each and every year, and works such as this are most helpful.
I personally found the illustrations in this book, by artist Jenny Loehr, quite pleasing as I like her method and style. She has the ability to capture so much with her simple facial expressions. The color choices certainly appeal to children and are quite eye catching in a subdued way. The illustrations go perfectly with the text and each, the text and the art work, complement each other perfectly.
Children have as much of a struggle understanding this devastating condition, even more than most adults. The author has done a wonderful job, in the way of explanation, at their level. I might add that any adult will also find this work quite informative. This is another valuable tool and should be included in any school program or home library were applicable. I, as a fully retired individual, do a tremendous amount of substitute teaching at our local schools. I fully intend to read these books to my younger classes. Ignorance is a horrible thing, and this book and the author's other book, Tacos Anyone?, go a long way in stamping it, the ignorance, out. Well done Ms Ellis! I highly recommend this one!
mom of af/am autistic child 2007-02-16
I have a son w/autism and I purchased this book because I haven't seen any af/am profiled in autism related childrens books before. I enjoyed the book very much. Kudos to the author!
