Mia the Masterpiece

An Empowering Story About Inclusivity and Growing Up with Down Syndrome

Mia Armstrong ∙ Illustrated by Alexandra Thompson

Paperback

Published on Sep 2, 2025 | 32 Pages

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Ebook

Published on Sep 2, 2025 | 32 Pages

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Grades Preschool – 1
Ages 4–6

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

Don’t miss Mia in A Christmas in New Hope, streaming now!

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.

"A celebration of self-advocacy, self-expression, and self-acceptance." —Kirkus Reviews

"Thompson’s delicate pencil and gouache renderings amplify the emotion that infuses the text’s vision of external patience and self-love." —Publishers Weekly

"Young readers will find this book delightful, whether or not they have Down syndrome. It can be both a mirror and a window to learn about how differences are what make people special." —School Library Journal

ISBN 9780593899113 (Paperback)
Published on Sep 2, 2025
Published by Step into Reading
Pages 32
Dimensions 6 x 9
Age Range 4-6 years
Grade Preschool - 1
Reading Level Fountas/Pinnell: L

ISBN 9780593899120 (Ebook)
Published on Sep 2, 2025
Published by Step into Reading
Pages 32
Age Range 4-6 years
Grade Preschool - 1
Reading Level Fountas/Pinnell: L

ISBN 9780593899137 (Hardcover Library Binding)
Published on Sep 2, 2025
Published by Step into Reading
Pages 32
Dimensions 6 x 9
Age Range 4-6 years
Grade Preschool - 1
Reading Level Fountas/Pinnell: L

Mia Armstrong

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, Christmas in New Hope, which hits streamers this Christmas. She has also starred 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.

Alexandra Thompson

Alexandra Thompson is the creator of A Family for Louie and the illustrator of Ben & Emma’s Big Hit by California governor Gavin Newsom and I Am a Masterpiece! by actress and Down syndrome advocate Mia Armstrong. When she’s not in the studio, she can be found exploring the great state of Maine, where she lives with her family. Visit her online at alexandraco.com and follow her on Instagram @alexandraco_illustration.