The main theme of this picture book is words. Or lack thereof. And therefore, it is also about communication. We follow Little Sam as they never speak words, but of course, that does not mean they cannot say many things. And of course, since she is different, people figure she does not have much to say, or really anything important to say.
Stacy Burch has a multiple layered story with A Way with Words. It can be adapted to fit your specific need. This book can work if a child is autistic or is is in the neurodiversity categories. If a child is deaf, it can help explain that their way of communicating is as important as anyone else, and it could help siblings or classmates to
understand the same thing. And of course, I am sure you can find other ways to use it. Plus, it is just a good story.
Lucy McLoughlin has added illustrations to the text that are both separate from and complimentary to it. They are solid but not “edgy.” The images are soft, sweet, but have a stability to them. The color palette is mixed, the details busy, but also fun. You read them as much as the text.
It is a nice book to sit and read. Make sure you are comfortable, as there is a lot going on. You could do this as a read aloud or for one-on-one. In many ways it is an all ages book, but the older reader might work best as the action is not traditional “jump and run around play” like action.
