Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability by Shane Burcaw

photographs by Matt Carr

Informational

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Evaluation of Book

This informational picture book provides a candid look at Shane who is confined to a wheelchair. He was born with a disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). It makes his body get weaker and smaller and because of this he relies on others to help him. Shane address the issue of people talking about him and making fun of him because of his disability. Through this book he shows that he has many similarities to others and he provides a platform for meaningful conversations about how to treat people.

The illustrations in this book are all photographs with bright and cheerful background colors. Speech bubbles are also used which give the book a conversational tone. It produces a comfortability with the book that encourages discussion. Some full page photos are included to show Shane in his natural surroundings doing the same things that kids do like play soccer.

Another feature of this book is the page with the labeled diagram of the motorized wheel chair. Kids are curious and this page provides the opportunity for the reader to study and learn about all the parts of a wheel chair. It is great for curious kids who might not have experiences with how it works.

Response

I chose this book because we do have a student on campus in a wheelchair. We also have students with various abilities and I think it’s important for children to see that we are all very similar with different abilities in life. This book does a really good job of explaining what life is like with a disability.

For the past two years my daughter and I have volunteered to help the Special Olympics program. My daughter was uncomfortable at first because she didn’t have many experiences with disabilities. As we have continued to help with the program, she has learned the message that Shane shares at the end of his book. He says, “We all have different strengths, weaknesses and abilities and that’s what makes us all beautiful.”

Conclusion

Shane says he love to make friends and he invites people to come up and say hi. This book has a powerful message to share. I would encourage readers to check it out.

Citation

Burcaw, S., & Carr, M. (2017). Not so different: What you really want to ask about having a disability. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press