YOU’RE SO AMAZING! (James and Lucy Catchpole, Karen George)
Joe is 'amazing'. He knows this because wherever he goes, people tell him he's amazing: amazing for sliding down the slide, amazing for kicking a ball . . . amazing even for eating an ice cream. Could this have anything to do with Joe having one leg? Joe thinks it might…
You’re So Amazing! (Faber and Faber, 2023) is the thought-provoking and inspiring follow up to What Happened to You? featuring Joe, who has one leg and uses crutches. But Joe doesn't like being told how 'amazing' it it when he's scratching his bum, or just hanging around with his friends. He's just 'Joe'.
A brilliant book with warm illustrations and gentle humour, to open up conversations with young people about disability and about treating people normally.
BODIES
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? (James Catchpole, Karen George)
What happened to you? Was it a shark? A burglar? A lion? Did it fall off?
A positive and ground-breaking picture book featuring Joe – an imaginative main character who loves to play and who has one leg. What Happened To You? (Faber and Faber, 2021) aims to inform and educate non-disabled children about disabilities by acknowledging the challenges Joe faces… and the questions. One question in particular – what happened to you?
James’ text balances humour and message brilliantly. Karen’s characterful illustrations evoke childhood and the joy of imaginary play. And at the end of the story, the children in the book decide they don’t need to know what happened to Joe’s leg to play with him, and everyone is happy with that.
CAN BEARS SKI? (Raymond Antrobus, Polly Dunbar)
In Can Bears Ski (Walker Books) Little Bear doesn’t always answer when his friends talk to him. He doesn’t understand why his Dad keeps asking him, ‘can bears ski?’ either. But as the story unfolds, Little Bear and the reader gradually understand that what his Dad is actually asking is, ‘Can you hear me?’ This is a really powerful tale about hearing loss written and illustrated by an author and illustrator who both wear hearing aids themselves.
(Reviewed Naomi Jones, author of The Perfect Fit)
EVERYBODY HAS A BODY (Jon Burgerman)
‘Everybody Has a Body’ (Oxford University Press, 2020) is bright and colourful book from Jon Burgerman that shows us everyone's bodies are different in some way - and that's OK! The rhyming texts delivers the message that whether your body is big, small, short or tall, it is something to celebrate and be proud of. The vibrant illustrations feature a diverse mix of characters including some with glasses and others in wheelchairs.
With eye-popping illustrations full of humour and colour, and an inclusive message about being perfect as you are, this story is packed with positivity. It would be a great book to share with children with and without disabilities. After all, we are all different and special.
MY MUST-HAVE MUM (Maudie Smith, Jen Khatun)
My Must-Have Mum (Lantana, 2022) features Jake and his beloved mum who loves to upcycle - in fact she's upcycled every last thing in the apartment!
Jake’s mum is not like most mums. Say there's a skip in the street, most mums will pass right by without a second glance. Not Jake’s mum. 'Look at this, Jake!' she'll shout. 'We must have this! We must have this, too! And we simply must have this!' That’s Jake’s mum for you. She’s a must-have mum.
Jake begins to worry that the only thing left to change is . . . him!
This clever, vibrant story is bursting with unconditional love, both from Mum's and child's perspective. It's a heart-warming tale of a mother-child relationship, with themes of recycling and being accepted for who you are. It also includes positive, incidental representation of a carer with a disability.
THE LIBRARY MOUSE (Frances Tosdevin, Sophia O’Connor)
Quill is a small mouse with a big dream. He longs to be an author and to share his stories with children in the library in which he lives. But how can such a small mouse get his words noticed? Just when it feel impossible, Leggsy - Quill’s spidery friend - helps him find a way to get his words read and his voice heard.
The Library Mouse (Uclan, 2024) is wonderfully illustrated and written in the most dreamy rhyme. Quill achieves his goal of being an author and learns that mistakes are part of the process, shining a ‘lantern of light’ on problems so they can be solved. A beautiful, empowering and heart-warming story that features a librarian wearing hearing aids who also comes to Quill’s aid.