Just Ask! book cover
Pre K - 3

Just Ask!

By Sonia Sotomayor

Illustrator: Rafael López

Supreme Court 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

State Awards

Recommended reading lists from your state's teacher or librarian associations!
  • Utah
    • Beehive Book Award, 2021
  • Maryland
    • Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2020-2021
  • Tennessee
    • Volunteer State Book Award 2020-2021
  • Indiana
    • Indiana Read Aloud 2021
  • North Carolina
    • North Carolina Picture Book Award 2022

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