Just Ask!

Just Ask! follows a group of children who work together to plant a garden. As they garden, they share their experiences living with different disabilities and medical conditions. The children take turns explaining their unique characteristics and capabilities, from diabetes to autism to asthma. Through their conversations, they demonstrate how their differences contribute to the garden's growth and beauty. Rafael López's illustrations showcase vibrant colors and diverse characters throughout the garden setting. The book includes both English and Spanish text on each page. This picture book promotes understanding, inclusion, and appreciation of human differences through its garden metaphor. The story encourages children to be curious and open about diversity rather than shy away from addressing disabilities.

Parents and educators value this book's direct approach to discussing disabilities and differences among children. Many reviews mention its effectiveness in teaching kids to ask questions respectfully rather than stare or make assumptions. Readers appreciate: - Clear, age-appropriate explanations - Diverse representation of various conditions - Focus on each child's unique abilities - Colorful illustrations - Connection to Sonia Sotomayor's personal experience Common criticisms: - Text can be wordy for youngest readers - Some find the garden metaphor doesn't fully connect - A few readers note it feels more educational than entertaining Ratings: Goodreads: 4.34/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (3,900+ ratings) One teacher wrote: "My students immediately connected with the characters and started sharing their own experiences." A parent noted: "This opened up natural conversations about differences my child notices in others."

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🌱 Author and illustrator Sonia Sotomayor wrote this book based on her own experience living with juvenile diabetes, aiming to help children understand and celebrate differences. 🌟 The book features twelve diverse children working together to create a garden, each with their own unique conditions or challenges—from autism to blindness to ADHD. 🎨 Rafael López's vibrant illustrations were created using acrylic paint on wood board and digitally composed, reflecting his signature style influenced by Mexican folk art. 🏆 Just Ask! won the 2020 Schneider Family Book Award, which honors authors or illustrators for the artistic expression of the disability experience. 🌿 The garden metaphor throughout the book was specifically chosen to show how different plants, like different people, each contribute their unique qualities to create something beautiful together.