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YOU ARE ENOUGH

Name: YOU ARE ENOUGH
Author: Margaret O’Hair
ISBN: 978-1-338-63074-9

A BOOK ABOUT INCLUSION INSPIRED BY MODEL & DISABILITY ADVOCATE SOFIA SANCHEZ

by Margaret O’Hair ; illustrated by Sofia Cardoso ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2021

A somewhat clichéd but nonetheless uplifting look at disability and differences.

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A girl with Down syndrome celebrates self-acceptance.

Eleven-year-old Sofia Sanchez, the book’s inspiration and visual focus, was adopted from Ukraine as a baby by a supportive American family, who encouraged her to become a model and actor. A sunny note from Sanchez opens the book, explaining that she’s “just like any other kid”; her Down syndrome is “just one part” of her. Acknowledging that being different “can be lonely” and that some people “think being different is scary,” the narration urges readers to embrace their own unique qualities, which all add up to being “enough.” “You aren’t perfect (no one is!). But you are okay being perfectly yourself,” the book declares. The text explores this evergreen sentiment earnestly if somewhat blandly, employing such well-worn phrases as “Being different is what makes you special.” Readers are encouraged not to “stay on the sidelines,” reassured that they’re “stronger than [their] fears,” and told the importance of listening to supportive “cheerleaders.” Exhorting readers to “look for the good in the world,” the book touchingly concludes, “Start by looking in the mirror. Love what you see there.” Cardoso’s bright illustrations animate the common theme, depicting smiling folks of diverse ages, races, cultures, and abilities as they dance, play, and help one another. Resources from the National Down Syndrome Society answer frequently asked questions and offer tips for talking about Down syndrome. Sanchez presents White. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 30.9% of actual size.)

A somewhat clichéd but nonetheless uplifting look at disability and differences. (biographical note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 2, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-338-63074-9

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
YOU ARE BRAVE
by Margaret O’Hair ; illustrated by Sofia Cardoso

- BOOK REVIEW
YOU ARE LOVED
by Margaret O’Hair ; illustrated by Sofia Cardoso

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
by Beth Bracken ; illustrated by Sofia Cardoso

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)