Different: A Great Thing to Be!

Different: A Great Thing to Be is a charming children’s picture book by Heather Avis, illustrated by my friend Sarah Mensinga.

The story is about a little girl, Macy, who is different because she has down syndrome. But she’s warm and kind, and she makes friends with other kids. Macy, who is based on Avis’ daughter, comes across as a wonderful character with a great spirit. I also love Sarah’s drawings, which really bring all the characters to life and depict a wide variety of children embracing and celebrating their uniqueness.

Overall, the book has a good message, and many of the words rhyme, which makes it fun to read. My eight year old read it out loud to my toddler, and both kids really enjoyed it. I’d recommend it to teachers as a good read aloud book for any classroom, or to parents looking for a good book for their children.