Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You
by Sonia Sotomayor ill by Rafael López
 | Sotomayor has penned a thoughtful picture book, exploring and celebrating differences. She introduces the concept with a garden analogy. Sonia and her friends are planting a garden filled with an assortment of plants. Some produce flowers, others fruit. They have a range of characteristics and respond to different types of growing conditions. Like plants, each person is unique, possessing a variety of distinguishing attributes. Subsequent pages introduce children with distinctive characteristics and circumstances. Beginning with Sonia's diabetes, individual children are introduced who live with asthma, dyslexia, autism, Tourette's syndrome, attention deficit/hyperactivity, food allergies, and Down Syndrome as well as those needing assistance with mobility, vision, hearing, or speech. Each child is a individual with a name and special personality. Each one experiences a challenge. |
The narrative encourages readers to understand individual disabilities. The page concludes with a question which to help youngsters relate to those who may appear different. Questions include such queries as:
Do you need to take medicine to be healthy?
Do you use a tool to help your body?
How do you use your senses?
Are you really good at something?
What do you like to talk about?
Do you ever wonder if people understand you?
What's helpful to you?
Do you use a tool to help your body?
How do you use your senses?
Are you really good at something?
What do you like to talk about?
Do you ever wonder if people understand you?
What's helpful to you?
López illustrations echo the concept of children planting a garden. Cover art features a glorious array of letters created from parts of colorful plants and flowers.
End papers showcase line drawings of children mentioned in the text and are interspersed with fanciful plants similar in size to the active and energetic kids.
End papers showcase line drawings of children mentioned in the text and are interspersed with fanciful plants similar in size to the active and energetic kids.
| Images radiate joy. Children with disabilities are not pitied. They are resourceful, productive people. The world is a better and happier place because of these youngsters. Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You is a cheerful and encouraging picture book to share with children everywhere, helping them to understand and appreciate differences. In her introductory letter Sonia Sotomayor describes living with juvenile diabetes. She relates her feeling that others perceived her need to inoculate herself with insulin as wrong. She wants to dispel this false notion. This book will be an important and welcome addition to home, school, public, and classroom libraries. It can be placed in nurse, doctor, therapist, and other health care provider offices. Consider adding this book to after-school programs, community and church youth centers. The message is universal. |  Also available in Spanish and audio editions. Respect the learning styles for a variety of children by ordering copies in all three formats. |
 Sonia finds a quiet moment to rest among the flowers to administer her insulin. |  Rafael adorns the garden with beautifully painted rocks. He keeps his inhaler handy. |
Rafael López Picture Books
Celebrate individual differences with these gorgeous books illustrated by Rafael López.
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Copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: September 3, 2019 Publisher: Philomel Books ISBN: 978-0525514121
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