Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ages: 4 – 8 years
Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But just like the different plants and flowers that make a garden more enjoyable, different types of people make our world more wonderful.
A garden growing only carrots would be a little boring, right?
Inspired by her experience as a child with juvenile diabetes, US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates diversity in her children’s book about the many differences that make each of us unique.
Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You is a stand-out picture book that will empower and bring comfort to children as they see themselves, and their friends within the characters of the pages. A #1 New York Times bestseller that celebrates the differences in all of us!
The illustrations in this book are the first stand-out! Rafael Lopez is an amazing, award-winning artist who has created a gentle and joyful feel within the illustrations.
Sonia and her friends are planting a garden.
‘’Thousands of plants bloom together, but every flower, every berry, and every leaf is different.’’
She points out that some flowers need lots of sunlight, others thrive in shade, some need regular trims and others are best left alone. Kids are different too!
‘’Each of us grows in our own way, so if you are curious about other kids, JUST ASK!’’
Sonia explains she needs to prick her finger to measure the sugar in her blood several times a day as she has diabetes. She has to give herself shots of medicine called insulin to be healthy.
She asks the question, ‘’Do you ever need to take medicine to be healthy?’’
Rafael answers with, ‘’I do’’. Rafael uses an inhaler to make breathing easier. He says his inhaler is like a tool to help his body and asks, ‘’Do you use a tool to help your body?’’
This question leads us to Anthony, who uses a wheelchair to get around. He can’t run with his legs but he can go super-fast!
We also meet Madison and Arturo who are blind. Madison has a guide dog and Arturo uses a walking cane. Even though they can’t see, their other senses are strengthened.
Vijay is deaf, Bianca has dyslexia, Jordan and Tiana have autism, Anh has a stutter, and Julia sometimes wiggles and makes sounds as she has Tourette’s syndrome. Manuel has ADHD, Nolan is allergic to nuts and Grace was born with Down syndrome.
Throughout the pages of the book, the children have been planting a garden. Sonia says, ‘’Imagine if all of the plants in this garden were exactly the same, like what if we only could grow peas?’’. She points out this would mean there are no strawberries, cucumber, carrots, trees, roses or sunflowers.
‘’Just like in our garden, all the ways we are different make our neighborhood – our whole world really – more interesting and fun.’’
In a book that addresses topics too often ignored, Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You is a stand-out picture book that will empower and bring comfort to children as they see themselves, and their friends within the characters of the pages.
A #1 New York Times bestseller that celebrates the differences in all of us!
