What happened to you?

Joe is having a ball playing pirate at the playground until some kids he hasn't met before arrive. One of them shouts, "You've only got one leg!" Joe agrees, unimpressed: "And you've just squashed my shark." Too few picture books recognize and validate the full, happy lives of children who have disabilities; this one does both with sensitivity, goodwill, and humor. The colored-pencil and gouache illustrations in a summery palette focus on the children, particularly their faces as they move from caution to puzzlement to connection. Joe deflects invasive questions, sometimes directly ("What do you think?"), and sometimes with humor ("Stop staring at my bottom"). A wordless double-page spread at the denouement allows Joe a moment of quiet sadness and frustration, and the other children finally realize Joe's leg (or lack thereof) isn't the most interesting thing about him. They go from being Kid One, Kid Two, and Kid Three to Simone, Yuto, and Caspar, and they join Joe's pirate game. An endnote for adults gives suggestions for how to talk with children about disabilities. Adrienne L. PettinelliSeptember/October 2023 p.48 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A boy fields questions about his missing leg in this British import. On the playground, Joe is a pirate, battling crocodiles and sharks. Just as Joe's about to vanquish Señor Sharkface, brown-skinned Kid One interrupts: "YOU'VE ONLY GOT ONE LEG!" Then comes a question that disabled readers will recognize instantly: "What happened to you?" Joe, not keen on telling "that story," replies, "What do you think?" That unleashes an avalanche of guesses as racially diverse kids join the conversation. Did it fall in the toilet? Is Joe hiding it? But answering "no" over and over exhausts even a pirate. Though kids will giggle at the silly scenarios and George's bright, expressive cartoon illustrations, Joe's frustration is palpable. Finally, Kid One asks the perfect question: "Is that a crocodile down there?" Ice broken, the kids introduce themselves and join the fun. When Joe asks Simone, formerly Kid One, "Do you still need to know what happened?" Simone's "No!" is a deep breath of fresh air. In a welcome departure from picture books where conversations about disabilities are treated as teachable moments for nondisabled characters, this one gently but effectively illustrates that while curiosity is natural, questions don't always need to be asked…or answered. Vitally, Catchpole, himself an amputee, reminds disabled readers--who are often sidelined in discussions of boundaries--that their bodies belong to them, including their medical histories. Backmatter advises caregivers on addressing disability. Joe presents white. Delightful, necessary, and long overdue. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

"What happened to you?" said the kid. But Joe didn't feel like telling that story, so he just said, "What do you think?" "Ummm...." The kid didn't know how to answer that. But another kid did. "Did it fall off?" "No," said Joe. A third kid thought that was silly. "Legs don't fall off," she said. Kid Number Four agreed. He asked, "Was it a burglar?" Then Kid Two thought very hard and said, "Did it fall off... in the toilet?" "No, and no!" said Joe. "This is a trick, isn't it," said Kid Five. "You're hiding it." "NO!" said Joe, "And stop staring at my bottom!" Excerpted from What Happened to You? by James Catchpole All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.