Moses Sees a Play

Moses Goes

by Isaac Millman

A lively performance by the Little Theatre of the Deaf

Actors from the Little Theatre of the Deaf are coming to Moses' school, and Moses and his classmates are going to see a play! A class from another school joins them, and Moses is introduced to Manuel, who has just moved to the United States. Manuel doesn't know English or sign language yet. Moses, being deaf, knows how hard it can be when no one understands you, so he tries communicating with Manuel using body gestures, while also teaching him some simple signs.

This delightful book about Moses incorporates clear and colorful pictures, written English, and American Sign Language (ASL). Detailed diagrams of the signs are included so that readers can learn along with Manuel.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 6, 2004

Reviews

[N_amandascholz · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this incredibly informative picture book, Moses is a student at a school for deaf children. The author, Issac Millman, has written other books about Moses in different situations. In this story, Moses attends a performance of the Little Theater of the Deaf at his school. His teacher, Mr. Samuels, invites a fellow teacher and her class to attend the presentation as well. Ms. Morgan's students are not deaf. In several ink and water-color illustrations, the reader sees the classroom and the children interact. Unless a child is signing, the differences between the children are not apparent. Instead -- the two groups of children blend together seamlessly, listening to stories, working on homework/projects, and eating lunch. On many pages of the text, the author/illustrator includes cartoon panels of Moses signing activities included in the larger picture. These cartoon panels include a word translation, but also arrows and numbers labeling the movements so a reader can learn to sign along with Moses. The very first page of the book includes a key that explains how to read or to interpret these arrows and symbols so the signing will be accurate.
The "message" of the book is clear; deaf children are just like other children. The performance by the Little Theater of the Deaf suggests that deaf children can grow up and be anything as well, a wonderful concept to share with all children. The book also has an additional plot about Moses meeting a student from Ms. Morgan's class who does not speak English and does not know how to sign. His native language is Spanish. However, Moses and Manuel become fast friends, emphasizing the notion that children without preconceptions can and want to find ways to communicate with one another, to share their lives and stories. Inspired by the theater performance, the two classes (Ms. Morgan's and Mr. Samuels') decide to put on plays for each other, continuing this message about the power of story and art to help us find our shared humanity.
I think that this book is appropriate for many children. Young kids may just enjoy the story, perhaps excited to see or to create their own play too! Kids who are more kinesthetic learners might appreciate the opportunity to imitate or to mimic the movements in the text. I loved reading all the displays on the bulletin boards in Moses' classroom. Other readers may like to express themselves through writing, demonstrated in the book through the letter describing his school day that Moses "types" to his grandparents. Overall - a very interesting book about a community I don't often see in picture books.

[Jasmine]

Cute story, and a diverse cast! Lots of skin tones, characters who communicate using ASL, Spanish and French, and various gender presentations.

I'm also delighted by how much signs make SENSE. "Horse" is twitchy ears, "Carriage" is holding reins, "Elephants" is a trunk, etc.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book about different things with the deaf community but the signs are written not as ASL but signed exact English so 🤷‍♀️

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moses Sees a Play is such a wonderful story. This story is about a deaf boy going to a school that doesn’t speak. Everyone speaks in ASL (American Sign Language), but Moses’ school is going to a play and invites a neighboring school. This play is a little different, especially for those from the neighboring school. The play is put on by actors from the Little Theatre of the Deaf. Moses is introduced to a new boy from the other school names Manuel, Manuel doesn’t know English let about ASL, but that doesn’t stop the two of them from communicating with body gestures and simple signs that creates a wonderful friendship. The illustrations are beautiful and a lot of the pages incorporate little simple ASL instructions for the readers. This is a great read and has the lesson that others may be different, or it may be difficult to communicate with others, but great friendships can still be made.

[A Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like that Moses makes friends with a hearing child in this book. I especially liked how a small amount of Spanish was incorporated and and that the book demonstrates how people can become friends even if they seem very different from each other. At the end Moses communicates with his grandparents who live in France too which was nice. However, the pages that explain the plot of Cinderella are really long.

[Cindy Sarnowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking something like a live action play and transforming the speaking parts so that the deaf can understand it is phenomenal. I really enjoyed the introduction of the Little Theatre for the Deaf was exciting and educational. The story includes a hearing class and a deaf class of children who work together to understand the production. The use of ASL is easy to follow and model. This book opens up secluded areas of the hearing to the deaf. Great story.

[Ellie Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story that illustrates what being deaf is like. I really liked how being deaf was never seen as a negative in the book which I often see in books depicting any sort of disability. I also liked how there was sign language in the book. Could be fun to learn a couple phrases in sign language as a class activity.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the premise but feel like the sign illustrations overpower the story.

[Samantha Ulsund]

This books does a great job of giving you an idea of the day in the life of a deaf person. I also like how it shows that you do not have to speak the same language to communicate.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting and informative tale about how deaf people can perform and enjoy a theater production. It's one of four books that feature the little boy named Moses and from what I can tell, they all describe the activities of a hearing-impaired person and explain how they can still enjoy the same things we do.

I like that different words (as well as the ASL alphabet) are included in the story, although I will admit that we had a bit of a difficult time trying to recreate them ourselves. I've found with the few ASL words I've learned, that I understood how to make the sign much easier from watching a person than from reading an illustration in a book.

[Marcina Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think It is a good book. A young deaf attend deaf school. Also, he attend a performance by "the Little Theatre of the Deaf". They performed and show people to learn their sign language. Also, hearing group attend the performance. Young deaf children communicate with hearing people with sign language and gestures. Also, a new immigrant who does not speak English or sign language. The two boys develop with sign language and they communicate through gestures.

[Kathy MacMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The excellent picture books in this series incorporate basic sign language instruction into stories of a little boy named Moses, who is deaf. The illustrations are child- friendly and clearly depict the signs, which are related to the story

[Monorail_lime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading to my newly 5 yr old son. I especially appreciated the illustrations of select words in American sign language as it helped me explain to him how the deaf communicate by teaching him actual vocabulary words.

[Paul Farbman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a great representation of deaf culture without any evidence of deafness as a medical condition. I like the use of ASL in the text and illustrations. It was also very interesting to learn about deaf theater.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a Cinderella play assembly at school from Little Theater of the Deaf. The students enjoy it so much that they want to work on a play.

[Sarah Ragan · Rating 3 out of 5]

good story about being different !

[Robert J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Moses books are helpful in introducing sign language and the deaf to hearing children.