Joe “knew he was amazing because everyone kept telling him he was amazing.” It may be meant as a compliment, but to Joe (white), who has one leg and uses crutches, it’s more annoying than anything. Strangers comment, “You’re so amazing!” as Joe goes down the slide or hangs on the monkey bars with his friends. It’s rather insulting to be told that he’s “so amazing!” as he waits in line to enjoy an ice cream cone. Joe’s friends, too, are puzzled and annoyed; their skills and talents go unnoticed when Joe is around. Even when Joe tries to make himself invisible, he receives unwanted attention—pity—which is worse. Thankfully, Joe has friends who see him not as “Amazing Joe” or “Poor Joe,” but as himself, “just Joe.” When his friend Yui invites Joe to play soccer, Yui doesn’t tell Joe his first shot at the goal is “amazing”—because it’s not. Yui just rolls the ball back to Joe. And out of all the shots Joe takes, he gets three in the goal, which feels truly “amazing” to him. While it doesn’t offer solutions or responses for disabled readers, this child-friendly story successfully depicts the harm done by a phrase commonly directed at disabled people and the comfort that supportive friends can provide. Cheerfully illustrated with gouache and colored pencil, the story is accompanied by a “Dear Adult” author’s note that further contextualizes the message.

A Schneider Family Book Award Honor book! ​In this authentic and humorous picture book, a child with a limb difference is tired of being told how amazing he is for doing normal things.



Joe and his friend Simone are practicing their best playground tricks, but everyone keeps saying how amazing Joe is, even when he tries to let Simone be the star. Will he ever get to be just Joe, whether he's amazing or not?



This companion to What Happened to You? addresses the assumptions people make about those with disabilities in an accessible, honest, and funny way. Based on James Catchpole's childhood experiences and written with his wife, Lucy, a wheelchair user, You're SO Amazing! encourages young readers to think of disability the way disabled people do: as normal.