Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Another Book You Should Read

While I'm talking about children's books, let me mention one more. 

Do you know who Todd Parr is?  If not, find out.  Or read on, because I'm going to tell you...

He is a children's book author and illustrator.  And he does an amazing job of putting big concepts into simple language and fun pictures.  You can find out more about him at www.toddparr.com

Anyway, he has written another of my favorite books.  It's titled It's Okay to Be Different.  In the book, Todd writes page of page of ways that we might be different (big ears, different sizes, having wheels - as in a wheelchair, eating macaroni and cheese in the bathtub) and each statement starts, "It's okay to..."

In a world where all of us - children and adults alike - are sent many messages each day about the way we are "supposed to be" Todd's words are refreshing and deeply needed.

In fact, today after we were done, one of our teenaged helpers came to me and said how much he appreciated that book.  He's not a kid who is obviously that much different than any of his peers, but those words...it's okay to be different...for some reason mattered to him.

Whoever you are...whatever you are like...in whatever ways you are different...know that it's okay.

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