A review by bookdragon217
Why Me, Mama? by Katherine Lockwood

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

"Everyone has something that makes them feel different. Sometimes you can see it and sometimes you can't."

Why Me, Mama? by Katherine Lockwood is a beautiful story about an owl with a disability, who is afraid to invite her friends to her birthday party because she feels they won't come because of her disability. She has a lot of fear anxiety around her disability and wonders why she the disability happened to her. Her mother takes her around to hand deliver invitations and shows her what sorts of disabilities and differences her friends have to teach her a lesson about acceptance and inclusivity.

This is such a beautiful story that brings awareness to multitude of disabilities and reminds people that not all disabilities are obvious to the eye. This also teaches the importance of acceptance and accommodation and gives examples of inclusiveness as opposed to tolerance. This is a great conversation starter for children who are curious about disabilities and who have a disability themselves. It help them explore their feelings and begin to normalize differences. It's also a great book to teach empathy, acceptance of self and others and empowers those with disabilities. People with disabilities deserve representation so that they don't feel so alone and isolated and internalize the idea that something is inherently wrong with them. This book also reframes disability as a unique trait to embrace, rather than feel limited by. I loved that the author shared her own disability (cystic fibrosis) & included discussion questions.

Other books that would pair nicely with this one & add to the conversation are:

📚 A Day With No Words- Tiffany Hammond
📚 Just Ask- Sonia Sotomayor
📚 The Boy With Big, Big Feelings- Britney Winn Lee
📚 You Are Enough- Sofia Sanchez
📚 Tag! You're It- Jannesy DeLeon
📚 Abdul's Story- Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
📚 My City Speaks- Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron
📚 A Way With Words- Stacy Burch
📚 Moses Goes to a Concert- Isaac Millman
📚 Together Things- Michele Vasiliu & Gwynneth Jones
📚 My Travelin' Eye- Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Thanks to @hearourvoicesbt & @acorncottagepress for the gifted copy and opportunity to participate in this tour.