I Am a Masterpiece!: An Empowering Story About Inclusivity and Growing Up with Down Syndrome

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

Tween actress Mia Armstrong celebrates her fun, funny, beautiful childhood living with Down syndrome in this debut picture book.

Mia likes many of the things other people like--going to the beach, the color blue, drawing. But she doesn't like when strangers stare at her because she looks different from them.

Down syndrome allows Mia to see and understand the world in a way that may not make sense to others. She considers it her superpower--and instead of it making her strange, she considers herself a masterpiece. As we all are.

In this sparkling picture book, Mia offers a glimpse into the life of a child with Down syndrome, helping some readers see themselves in a book and helping others understand those friends, classmates, and family members who are neurodivergent.

About the Author

Mia Armstrong is a SAG-AFTRA actress, model, and voiceover artist who once declared in a Good Morning America interview that Down syndrome is her superpower--and she’s proving that to be true.

    Mia will star in her first feature film, A Christmas in New Hope, which hits streamers this Christmas. She has also appeared in the Apple TV+ show Hello Jack, Muppet Babies, and Disney’s YouTube series The Disney Princess Club. In her modeling work, Mia has appeared in ads for Tommy Hilfiger, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Walgreens, Samsung, Cheerios, Chase, and Nickelodeon. She made history as the first child with Down syndrome to voice a cartoon character on Netflix. Mia has appeared on The View, MSNBC, and The Tamron Hall Show.

    Mia is changing the way intellectual disabilities and differences are perceived as she fights for inclusion and against discrimination. Mia is a prolific artist who draws and paints daily, and her art has inspired Owtside The Box, an apparel company featuring the art of individuals with Down syndrome. Mia lives in California with her parents and brother. This is her first book.

Author Residence: Southern California

Author Hometown: Southern California

Alexandra Thompson is a Maine-based illustrator and author creating work for picture books, children’s apparel, and magazines. She is also the illustrator of A Family for Louie and Ben & Emma’s Big Hit.

Illustrator Residence:Maine