A bite from a spider gave Peter Parker his special powers. For a group of children with disabilities, all it took was some strokes of Dorrell Howard’s pen.
Howard, a USC Upstate freshman, is the illustrator of “The Can-Do Kids,” a book by local writer and educator Jennifer Cole about children whose disabilities are transformed into superpowers. The characters are based on kids Cole has worked with, and on her own experiences growing up with ADHD.
Cole selected Howard for the project while he was a senior at Wade Hampton High School and studying at the Fine Arts Center of Greenville. He loved the idea of using his talents to promote inclusion and to celebrate children’s differences.
“I want better for not only the next generation, but for people who aren’t aware of people with disabilities,” Howard says. “I think we oftentimes numb ourselves to things we don’t know too much about.”
To decide what each child’s superpower would be, Howard and Cole looked at their unique traits or interests. Trevor, for example, uses adaptive equipment to get around, so Howard envisioned him as a kind of Ironman, with mechanical powers.
One character is especially personal for Howard. Maiyah, who has autism and is nonverbal, is Howard’s older sister. Howard says she loves dolls, so he gave her the power to control dolls to assist her during her activities.
The response to “The Can-Do Kids” has been overwhelmingly positive, Howard says. He has joined Cole to promote the book at Barnes & Noble in Greenville, the Carolinas International Book Fair and the Disability Expo, among other events. Each time, he’s met families who are touched by the story.
“I would see adults cry from looking at the illustrations and really feeling emotion about kids with disabilities being presented as superheroes rather than isolated,” he says. “It impacted me a lot. Plus, I get to elevate Maiyah.”
A second book is already in the works, dedicated to the memory of Jordan, who used sign language to communicate. Her power is the ability to transfer her signing skills to hearing children so they can communicate with people with hearing loss.
Howard has tucked hidden references to Jordan’s life into the illustrations, including appearances by her grandmother, who was her caretaker. “As an illustrator who never got the opportunity to meet her, I’m almost building a bridge between my life and her and her family’s life,” he says.
An art education major at Upstate, Howard looks forward to one day inspiring young people to express themselves creatively, just as he was encouraged when he was younger. Though he was initially forced into art as a way to keep him out of trouble, his interest grew the more he learned. “I wouldn’t have taken it seriously if I didn’t have the support I had in my life,” he says.
As for what his superpower would be if he could have one? “Telepathy,” Howard says. “Helping people who are, say, sad or depressed, because then I can know their mind and what they need and I can provide that.”
Written by USC Upstate.