Joe is having a great time at the playground on his own, battling sharks and crocodiles. But a new kid comes along and says what new kids always say – “You’ve only got one leg!” and “What happened to you?”.
Joe is super fed up of always getting these questions, and as more kids turn up, more questions (and questionable theories) abound. But soon the kids discover that there is more interesting stuff they can be doing with Joe… and it involves battling sharks and crocodiles.
This fun and sensitive book provides a great way in to talking about disability with kids, and also has very helpful notes for adults on how to do this when “your child wants to know everything about every disabled person they see, all at once, at TOP VOLUME…”. Some really good advice follows – “…it’s still worth your child knowing that disabled people are just like anyone else, getting on with their busy day, not looking to be a teachable moment”. It reminded me of the very excellent blogs by Gem Turner on exactly this topic.
What Happened to You? is a fun and enjoyable read, with lively and cheerful illustrations. Cracking!
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