Joe is ‘amazing.’ He knows this because wherever he goes, people always tell him he’s amazing. Amazing for sliding down the slide, for kicking a ball, even walking to get an ice cream, or even just eating an ice cream. Of course, being Amazing Joe is better than being Poor Joe. But why can’t he just be Joe?
This companion to What Happened to You? encourages young readers to see disability as normal in an accessible, honest, and funny way.
Have you ever noticed how, when you say a word over and over again, it starts to lose all meaning and becomes annoying? The same thing happens when you are constantly told you’re amazing for doing ordinary things. It’s not encouraging. It’s annoying.
Joe doesn’t want to be pitied or seen as an inspiration. He wants to play with his friends and to be seen as himself.
Be sure to read the letter to adults at the back of the book, where the authors address the assumptions people make about those with disabilities and how to let disability be normal.
As a bonus, here’s a Frazz comic about what makes people different.
