Frank Tra, PRISMS member from Wichita, KS, wrote a picture book entitled “Masterpiece Robot and the Ferocious Valerie Knick-Knack” that was published by Tilbury Press.

Each character in the book is based on one of his children.  What you might not be able to tell from the surface of the book is that their daughter Amber, who has Smith-Magenis syndrome, is one of the main characters.  If you know that Amber has SMS, you can read between the lines to see how Amber’s siblings are working to include her in their play even though she doesn’t always make it easy.

“It’s really a fun book — a sweet portrait of the Tra family’s imaginative kids,” said Tra. The story centers on his second daughter, Laura, as she imagines a dystopian universe in need of a hero.  The book’s style has a comic-book influence, with some panels showing the children playing in their backyard and some panels showing what their play looks like in Laura’s imagination.  As the plot thickens, Laura transforms into the superhero Masterpiece Robot, with her two-year-old sister Molly as her sidekick.  Along the way, they receive help from their brother Roman.

Maybe it is only natural that the villain is the oldest sister, Amber, a.k.a. the Ferocious Valerie Knick-Knack.  The book never mentions Amber’s SMS or behavioral challenges.  A reader unfamiliar with their family would have no idea that there is anything different about Amber, but their closest friends will realize that Amber’s role in the story is a little tongue-in-cheek.  Tra loves the way that his family’s dynamic shines through in this book.  One of his favorite pages is near the end.  It shows the victory of Masterpiece Robot with the Ferocious Valerie Knick-Knack lying on the ground in defeat.  The same scene is also represented in the real world by a laughing dogpile of siblings, with Amber enjoying the fun as much as the others. 

At the end of the day, what really matters is the siblings’ love for each other!

You can order a copy of “Masterpiece Robot and the Ferocious Valerie Knick-Knack” here.

Do you have a story about SMS that you want to share with the PRISMS community? Remember, you can share your SMS story with us anytime by filling out our Share Your Story form!