Cheerful text and whimsical illustrations bring alive this heartwarming story of kindness and inclusion featuring a character with Down syndrome.
When young Jana receives heaps of beautiful socks from her parents after learning how to put on socks all by herself, she can’t wait to show her friends at school. When her friends see her amazing socks, everyone wants a pair too!
Jana has an idea and decides to share a pair of her new socks with each and every friend. This calls for a school sock parade!
All of the children have so much fun showing off their colourful socks together that they gave a very special surprise for their kind and generous friend, Jana!
Author Sally Fetouh was inspired to write this touching story by her own daughter who has Down syndrome, feeling it was important for her and other children like her to be able to see themselves in literature.
Several years ago, after reading a different story about a girl with Down syndrome to her daughter’s preschool class, Sally says, “The children were so engaged in the story and asked questions. They were very accepting and loving of their friend—my daughter. I left with a heart overflowing with emotion and that inspired me to write my story.”
Disability Themes
Children's Books, Picture Book, Inclusion
About The Author
Writing is very much a part of who author Sally Fetouh is as a human being. As a child, writing was a way for her to express herself and all of the stories and ideas she had in her head.
Now, as an adult, she has been inspired to write a beautiful story of kindness and friendship, Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks, a heartwarming picture book loosely based on her daughter who has Down syndrome. It was important to Sally that her daughter and other children like her were able to see themselves represented in literature.
The idea came to Sally when she visited her daughter’s preschool to read a story about a girl with Down syndrome. The loving, accepting, and inquisitive responses from her daughter’s classmates inspired her to write a story reflecting these caring friendships. Sally believes a great book is one that has impactful characters and a story that provides a new experience or perspective to the reader that stays with them long after the book is closed.
She hopes that her young readers with disabilities or those who are different in some way will be able to relate to the main character and see a little bit of themselves, while also aiming for other readers to gain insight into the world of Down syndrome and the importance and impact of kindness and friendship.
When she isn’t writing thought-provoking children’s books, Sally works as a lawyer, a photographer and pilates instructor. She enjoys being in nature, hiking, and horse riding. She lives with her family in Sydney, Australia.
Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks is her debut picture book.
