Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"We sing, learn, sign! We stim, dance, crawl!/ Grown-ups, siblings, cousins, all having a ball." Intersectionally diverse characters are shown interacting throughout this buoyant picture book that spotlights how, "with love and adaptation... we play!" Slice and Cupp utilize rhyming couplets on each spread to show play in inter-abled relationships: on one page, a child using leg braces frolics with another wearing an eye patch; elsewhere, a child playing in nature decorates an adult's cane. A spread noting that "some days bodies are not much fun./ They hurt and ache--can't jump or run" attends an image of a duo snuggled up and reading in a chair. Harren's realistic digital art shows characters of various body types and skin tones using apparatuses for breathing and communication as well as mobility aids, PPE, and more, expanding the text into an inclusively populated world in which play is accessible for all. Learning guides for kids and adults conclude. Ages 3--7. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--Disability rights activists Slice and Cupp present a joyful and empowering exploration of families at play. On each spread, this rhythmic and musical rhyming story explores a new family at play. Every spread has a family member who has a disability and explores how to use adaptive, imaginative, and considerate play for inclusive joy. The affirming refrain says, "With love and adaptation, this is how we play!" Children and adults pictured are shown with mobility aids, service animals, and sensory tools. Families of all different skin tones are depicted with and without masks and in medical offices, homes, and parks. The back matter includes a guide for kids and grown-ups to think, learn, and talk about disabilities, including those represented in the book. The authors also present information about their own disabilities and mention interviewing families for each spread in the story. Harren's digitally created and detailed, full-color illustrations fill spreads with one scene across the two pages. They are balanced between bold foregrounds and muted backgrounds, creating very inviting pages to explore beyond the relation to the text. VERDICT A must purchase for all libraries to fill much needed positive disability representation in picture books.--Taylor Skorski
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Whether they "sing, learn, sign" or "stim, dance, crawl," families who are diverse in terms of ability--all based on real people--enjoy a fun-filled day. A grandpa cheers as a child who uses a prosthetic leg plays basketball; a child explores the boardwalk with Mama, who drives a mouth-controlled wheelchair; kids play puppets with an aunt who appears to be developmentally disabled and lives independently with a nurse's help--all amply demonstrating the refrain: "With love and adaptation, this is how we play!" A father signs a bedtime story, and the families' busy day winds down: "With love and adaptation, this is how we… //ZZZZZ…." Though the rhyming text occasionally feels forced, Slice and Cupp, themselves disabled, realistically acknowledge challenges while keeping an upbeat, reassuring tone. They note that sometimes "bodies are not much fun. / They hurt and ache--can't jump or run." The accompanying image shows a child and an adult who uses a walker and takes medication; the two, on "days like this…love to cuddle. / Read our stories, nap and snuggle." Harren's detailed portrayals of myriad physical, sensory, and developmental conditions warmly embrace disability's broad spectrum, and characters' faces radiate love and enthusiasm. Backmatter includes a glossary of depicted conditions (unfortunately describing Braille as a language rather than a writing system) and tips for caregivers on addressing disability with children. Characters are racially diverse. A wonderfully inclusive celebration of disability and family.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
