A book illuminating and celebrating Down syndrome has won a third major award in the USA. Kari Burk's illustrated memoir, Snapshot of a Soul Place in the Land of Special Needs, was honored with a 2016 Academics' Choice Award in addition to National Parenting Product (NAPPA) and Family Choice Awards. Written and illustrated in Castlegar, BC it was edited, curated and published by Valerie Hennell and designed by Ronan Lannuzel on Protection Island in Nanaimo, BC. Triumphs, challenges, hopes and fears: a mother and daughter's journey with Down syndrome in painting, drawing, photographs, poetry & prose. This is an extremely personal book about other people, but it will touch your heart. Written and illustrated by Kari Burk, edited and curated by Valerie Hennell, it is a graphic biography of Kari's daughter Mielle, now 25. At first you don't know anything about these quirky, creative folk. But after a sumptuous reading (or viewing--there are many photographs and 4 original illustrations), you will- feel that they, and all of us, belong together. Snapshot of a Soul Place is a celebration of a great many people, including present and former family, teachers, mentors, friends, folksingers, and most of all Mielle, who has Down syndrome. Kari Burk says: "Perhaps the greatest obstacle faced by a person with special needs is being misunderstood and in turn, isolated, from life's processes and events. This book is my way to bridge that gap, celebrating the people, places and images that have shaped our lives and inspired my art." - from Amzon