Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4^-9. The latest in the Let's Talk about It series takes an honest, clear look at an issue that children often find intimidating and scary--disabilities. Children who use wheelchairs, communicate via computer screens, and have less-visible disabilities go about their daily routines with other children in brightly lit, color-saturated photographs. The well-known Rogers states simply that all people want to love and be loved and that people are alike even if they don't "walk or talk or learn the same way you do." He encourages children to ask questions and to start a conversation the way you would with anyone, by saying "Hi" and giving your name. He reminds children that sometimes people may not want help, so you should ask first, and that friends can tell each other even hard things, like "I don't like when you do that." Disabled adults figure in the pictures, too, including a storytime librarian who uses a wheelchair. Recommended for all collections. --GraceAnne A. DeCandido
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Rogers deals with the concerns, questions, and confusion children may have about people with special needs. He begins by describing common feelings they experience when they meet someone with a disability, such as curiosity, fear, or surprise. Readers are reassured that these reactions are normal and that getting to know individuals is the best way to understand and appreciate them. Although the author repeats some of the same advice found in his Adoption (1995), Divorce (1996) and Stepfamilies (1997, all Putnam)-for example, how helpful it is for children to talk to grown-ups about their feelings-this book also offers gentle suggestions for becoming friends with "extraordinary" people. Bright, colorful photographs depict six children with special needs in various situations. The first page introduces them and some of the things they like. Although the large-print text is easy to read, the book is best shared aloud as discussion is bound to follow.-Christine Lindsey, Lake Superior Primary School, Ashland, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool) The latest volume in Mr. Rogers's ""Let's Talk About It"" series will be in high demand from early childhood educators and parents who want to give young children positive attitudes toward people with disabilities. Especially written for nondisabled children, the frank and simple text serves two basic purposes: it answers some of the common questions children have about people with disabilities and provides some introductory etiquette (""If you feel like trying to help somebody, it's a good idea to ask first""). Engaging color photographs show three pairs of friends throughout, including a boy with cerebral palsy, a boy who uses a walker, and a girl with Down syndrome. In Mr. Rogers's trademark style, he gently reassures children (and by extension their parents) that fear and curiosity are natural responses to new situations and then suggests some ways children can make the first move toward friendship. The text skillfully walks a fine line between stressing similarities and differences, focusing on the children's common interests without glossing over their physical differences. This is by far the best general introduction to the topic for preschoolers since Tricia Brown's Someone Special, Just Like You, and it's likely to be just as dog-eared in a few years. k.t.h. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
