Anti-Bias Children's Book Review: Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You

 

review by Angeline Estrada

Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor contains a story

about disability inclusivity in which the author depicts herself as a child working with her friends to

plant a garden. In the book, the author starts by explaining that there are thousands of plants that are not

only different in their appearance, but also in the type of care that they require. She makes the connection

to how all children are different too and then proceeds to share her experience with diabetes before each

of her friends introduce themselves and share their own disabilities or neurodiversities. Filled with Rafael

López’ illustrations, this book promotes inclusivity through an anti-bias perspective that normalizes and

respects differences due to a disability or neurodiversity.


Anti-Bias Elements:

  • Author's personal context: Sotomayor includes a letter to the readers in which she describes her journey of being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at seven years old and how that made her feel different. Although she does not have the disabilities and neurodiversities that the other characters in her book have, her experience with feeling alienated as a child is something that other children could relate to.
  • Avoids tokenism: Sotomayor writes different views for some of the disabilities she included in her book. For example, when the character named Madison introduces herself and her friend Arturo, she points out that they are both blind. But while Madison explains that her guide dog allows her to get around safely, she notes that Arturo uses a cane instead.
  • Avoids stereotype of disabled people being in passive roles: a character named Anthony who uses a wheelchair is illustrated with a garden plan on his lap while his two friends run after him with tools and materials. Even though it is not verbally expressed that he takes on a leadership role, this is shown through the illustrations in the book.

Comments

  1. Alison Wishard GuerraOctober 26, 2022 at 2:34 PM

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful book with us! Sotomayor has created a powerful story for neuro/cultural/linguistic diverse children to see their strengths and power.

    ReplyDelete

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