Over the years I have made no secret of my disappointment with a certain high-profile, slickly produced series of glossy board boards about signing with young children that completely disrespect American Sign Language and its users by mingling made-up gestures with actual signs and not indicating which is which.
That’s why I am so glad that the Baby Fingers series by Lora Heller (Sterling Publishing Company) exists! This board book series combines adorable photos of young children signing with instructions for basic ASL signs that parents and children can use every day to make communication easier, reduce frustration, and increase bonding. With topics ranging from feelings to signs to use throughout the day, this series proves that sign language board books can be both adorable and accurate.
Stories by Hand 
Hello, I am an ASL student at a local college. My goal is to become an interpreter. I have a personal question to ask. A family next door is dealing with their young teenage son who has bone marrow cancer. Because of the last 3 years of treatments, I have been informed that he is in the process of going deaf. His mother asked me if I would be willing to teach him sign language. Of course my response was affirmative. I am just perplexed as to how to proceed. He is dealing with so much stress and pain that this is one more weight for him and them to carry. He is very intelligent so I don’t want to treat him as a child, but I don’t want to treat him as an adult either. Is there a book that we can venture through together? I believe that faith is an action word, so I believe that this can be done. I just need advice. Thank you for your love of children. God is good! All the time!
Kathie: I hope it’s okay that I (another reader!) nose in on your question. I highly recommend Lora Heller’s “Sign Language for Kids.” It’s widely available in local libraries. Also, there is a great “self-study” website I love to refer folks of all ages to called http://asluniversity.com. Warm wishes.
Both great suggestions!