A Birthday Surprise

A Birthday Surprise, written and illustrated by Brandi Killinger, explores the world of a young girl with hereditary blindness. Presented from the first person point of view, the story records the unusual events of Penni's eleventh birthday, culminating in Penni's use of her imagination to help her sighted friends see with their imaginations. Readers will learn what hereditary blindness means and discover how Penni copes with it in order to manage mundane activities. Like a set of Russian nesting dolls, A Birthday Surprise contains a set of narratives within narratives that illustrate the capacity of language to entertain and to equalize. Penni's visual perspective of the world is illustrated by intricate and vibrant torn-paper collages. A Birthday Surprise is both enjoyable and educational.