Aaron Slater, Illustrator a picture book that’s wise beyond its years

I’m a very punctual person, but I was really late to the illustrated book party that Andrea Beaty and David Roberts have been putting on. Granted, I have seen them because it is impossible to not see one of their books in a lower to mid-elementary classroom or in their school library. The Questioneers book series’ iconic use of graph paper on their cover images makes it clear that these are illustrated books are kept close to the heart of STEM. Aaron Slater, Illustrator follows the previous book’s blueprints. It has rhyming pages, lovingly detailed art, and has a story that aims high with its stem-tastic appeal that’s disguised as an illustrated book

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That’s because Aaron Slater Illustrator, is fashioned after a real person. Aaron Douglas Slater reads like the illustrated biography of the young man as he would’ve been in second grade. This is a fictional account of Slater’s life, but has details that any kid will understand.

What a great look at Aaron Slater, Illustrator. Thank you, @Daddymojo!

I do want to clarify that the character in the book is not based on the life of painter, Aaron Douglas. He is named after him, though. As a nod to one of America’s greatest artists.
Thanks!

— AdaTwistScientist (@andreabeaty) March 19, 2022

Slater grew up with three other siblings who could easily share their feelings. They loved to communicate, but doing so in a clear, concise manner was something that didn’t come easily for him. His teacher calls on him to read in class, but it’s challenging and doesn’t sound as fluid as the other students.  It turns out that Slater was dyslexic, which was one thing that made his ability to read a bit more challenging.

At the end of the book, readers will discover that 15-20% of all people have dyslexia. Illustrator also mentions a couple of other things that make it challenging to learn to read or write, like dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADD, or ADHD. The first two are difficulty in learning to write and the second one is difficulty in doing math. It’s some form of the latter two that I see every day in mainstream classrooms.

Aaron Slater Illustrator sees him realize that reading is challenging. Instead, he finds joy and ease in communicating through his illustrations. When he has a pencil or crayon in his hands he’s free and can share the world that he’s seen in his mind, but struggles to let others enjoy it also.

The rhyming text in the book is set against a white backdrop. It rhymes, but it’s not a baby book and is one that those seven-year-olds will still seek out. It’s very minimalist, but the stark nature in which the words are presented makes them stand out. This is a book that’s meant to be shared aloud-like in a first or second-grade classroom, as a goodnight book, or when your child is simply doing nothing or something. Aaron Slater Illustrator is a feel-good book that makes those young readers get the feels that they may not get enough of.

It’s encouragement, the kind that those young ages may not necessarily realize that they need. In this specific case, it’s about communication. That aspect is very sublimely addressed when you look at every word in the book because it’s printed in a dyslexia-friendly font. Aaron Slater’s issue didn’t define who he was as a youth and that’s the message that kids will get from this book. Aaron Slater Illustrator is one of those books that’ll be constantly read by someone in your second-grade classes. Moreover, it’s one that adults will enjoy reading because it’s uplifting and opens up conversations to those young ages that might need a prompt or two.

Aaron Slater Illustrator is by Andrea Beaty with illustrations by David Roberts and available on Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Abrams Books.

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