Review
"Collette is someone I deeply admire. In this book, we learn that her mission to change the world began in kindergarten, when she quickly figured out that sometimes grownups need a little extra help to see things that kids can see immediately. Today, as a successful entrepreneur, Collette continues to encourage everyone to focus not on what they can't do, but rather, on what they can do. She's one smart cookie!"
--Karen Kaplan, chairman & CEO, Hill Holliday
"'Collette in Kindergarten' provides profound insight into how families and educators can, and should, work together to ensure all students are included in all aspects of school and community life. Young children are often the most naturally inclusive among us, and as this book demonstrates, the rest of us would be wise to follow their lead by opening our eyes to the positive attributes and abilities of others."
--Maureen Gallagher, executive director, Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress
"This book is a victory for inclusion. Collette's resilient kindness is a guiding light for how we fix stereotypes about disability in our world. Whether you're a parent of a child with a disability or someone wanting to learn from Collette's experience, this book is an invitation to be a part of exciting cultural change that starts in our own hearts. Incredible. Challenging. Hope-giving."
--Andrea Friedman, co-founder, Voices for the Voiceless
"This is a sweet and moving story on the power of inclusion. Collette had such wisdom as a kindergartener and was able to teach her classmates and classmates' families that, 'Down syndrome was not Collette's disability; it was her ability.' Inclusivity in an educational setting benefits all parties involved, and each person in an inclusive classroom learns and grows from the experience. This little gem is a wonderful teaching tool and would be a great gift for any young student preparing to enter kindergarten or a new school. My son, who just finished kindergarten, loved hearing the story!"
--Hampus Hillerstrom, president & CEO, LuMind IDSC Foundation
About the Author
Collette Divitto was born in 1990 with Down syndrome. She grew up in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where she developed a passion for baking. After high school, Collette attended Clemson University and finished a three-year LIFE program in just two years. With a strong drive to work hard and succeed, Collette moved to Boston, Massachusetts, and founded Collettey's Cookies. Collette teaches classes on empowerment, leadership, self-awareness, career pathways, and entrepreneurship, and when she's not at Collettey's Cookies in Boston, you can find her traveling across the US, sharing her inspiring story and empowering those with labeled disabilities. Collette has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Inside Edition, BBC, and many other print and television media outlets around the world.
Once upon a time, in Mrs. Hershner's kindergarten art class, Katie Mazeika painted the perfect butterfly. Then she accidentally stuck her thumb in the middle of its right wing. To fix the problem, she stuck her other thumb in the other wing. Mrs. Hershner announced that Katie was a Little Artist. She decided to go with it. Many years after kindergarten, Katie went on to the Columbus College of Art and Design, where she graduated with a BFA in illustration. She moved to northeast Ohio, where she eventually settled down with her husband, two kids (Lillian and Jack), and two dogs. Katie still likes to paint butterflies, but now she works primarily in Photoshop on a Wacom Cintiq. When she isn't in the studio, Katie spends time at the theater or in her garden, getting lost in a good book.
