Young Sonia has diabetes and must sometimes give herself shots of insulin. She asks, “Do you ever need to take medicine to be healthy?” Rafael has asthma and sometimes needs an inhaler, which is like a tool to help his body. “Do you use a tool to help your body?” Anthony uses a wheelchair. “How do you get from place to place?” he asks. This question-and-answer chain format is used to introduce 13 diverse fictional children who have physical or cognitive differences. The “Just ask” of the title is referenced by both fictional Sonia and her real-life counterpart, Puerto Rican author Sotomayor, who is diabetic. Sotomayor advises “just ask” when you are curious about someone. The narrative acknowledges that not everyone is comfortable answering such questions, and adults can help when kids aren’t ready to respond, a point for child and adult readers to be aware of—there is no single approach that will be appreciated by everyone. What can be appreciated here is that the differences highlighted are expressed as something matter-of-fact about each child while also affirming what they can do rather than focusing on what they cannot do. Bright, joyful illustrations accompany this affirming look at racially diverse kids with various kinds of disabilities. (Ages 4–8)

Justice Sonia Sotomayor and award-winning artist Rafael Lopez create a kind and caring book about the differences that make each of us unique.

A #1 New York Times bestseller!

Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award!

Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.

In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges--and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

Praise for Just Ask:

* "Addressing topics too often ignored, this picture book presents information in a direct and wonderfully child-friendly way." --Booklist, *STARRED REVIEW*

"An affirmative, delightfully diverse overview of disabilities." --Kirkus Reviews

"A hopeful and sunny exploration of the many things that make us unique [with] dynamic and vibrant illustrations [that] emphasize each character’s unique abilities. . . . A thoughtful and empathetic story of inclusion." --SLJ