Also available in Spanish as ¿Qué te pasó?
Joe is playing his favorite shark-filled game on the playground, but sharks are easy compared to meeting new kids. After one kid loudly exclaims, "You've only got one leg!" the floodgates open, and Joe is bombarded with questions from all the kids that he doesn't feel like answering - "What happened to you?" "Did it fall off?" "Where's your other leg!" Finally, an exasperated Joe shuts them down, and we can see from his expression that he is not having a good time.
But the next question is one that Joe is willing to answer: "Is that a crocodile down there?"
Yes!
The kids introduce themselves, and they spend the next few pages gleefully navigating the crocodiles and the sharks - which especially like to eat pirates! Finally as they take a break for a snack, Joe asks a question of his own: "Do you still need to know what happened?" And his new friend answers, "No!"
At the end, a letter to adults provides some tips from the author for addressing kids' natural curiosity about disabilities.
Schneider Family Book Award 2024 Honor Book. Read more about all the 2024 ALA Youth Media Award Winners here.