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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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THE HUMBLE PIE

From the Food Group series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 4, 2025

A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.

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In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.

Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.

A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025

ISBN: 9780063469730

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BIG CHEESE PRESENTS
by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald

- BOOK REVIEW
EVERYTHING'S WRONG!
by Jory John ; illustrated by Erin Kraan

- BOOK REVIEW
THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH
by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald

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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)