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9781643796628

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Reviews

* ""Pla's story of sibling love makes Benji's autism known without ever making it the focus; Benji is about bad days, empathy and familial relationships. This tale came from Pla's own life, in which her 'autistic and non-autistic sons... had fuzzy blankets' and often asked to be 'wrapped tight into burritos' with them. Ken Min's acrylic and colored pencil illustrations fit the spirit of the tale perfectly, depicting a cozy, three-person family on full-page spreads saturated with colors that get brighter with Sammy's mood. Benji is wholly heartwarming."" -- Shelf Awareness, starred review ""A thoughtful reminder that all siblings need extra love and attention sometimes."" -- Publishers Weekly ""Pla selects a common theme, the power of familial love to overcome adversity, and deftly moves the challenges of autism to a supporting detail rather than a distracting focus in this simple picture book. That Min depicts this family as people of color further broadens this story's inclusive reach. An ordinary story is given a spark of life by the inclusion of an empathetic little brother with autism."" -- Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of the Year in Spanish Winner 2024 - Bank Street College of Education CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Delaware Diamonds Awards Nominee - Diamond State Literacy Association

* Pla's story of sibling love makes Benji's autism known without ever making it the focus; Benji is about bad days, empathy and familial relationships. This tale came from Pla's own life, in which her 'autistic and non-autistic sons... had fuzzy blankets' and often asked to be 'wrapped tight into burritos' with them. Ken Min's acrylic and colored pencil illustrations fit the spirit of the tale perfectly, depicting a cozy, three-person family on full-page spreads saturated with colors that get brighter with Sammy's mood. Benji is wholly heartwarming. -- Shelf Awareness, starred review A thoughtful reminder that all siblings need extra love and attention sometimes. -- Publishers Weekly Pla selects a common theme, the power of familial love to overcome adversity, and deftly moves the challenges of autism to a supporting detail rather than a distracting focus in this simple picture book. That Min depicts this family as people of color further broadens this story's inclusive reach. An ordinary story is given a spark of life by the inclusion of an empathetic little brother with autism. -- Kirkus Reviews Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Starred Review, Shelf Awareness

"* ""Pla's story of sibling love makes Benji's autism known without ever making it the focus; Benji is about bad days, empathy and familial relationships. This tale came from Pla's own life, in which her 'autistic and non-autistic sons... had fuzzy blankets' and often asked to be 'wrapped tight into burritos' with them. Ken Min's acrylic and colored pencil illustrations fit the spirit of the tale perfectly, depicting a cozy, three-person family on full-page spreads saturated with colors that get brighter with Sammy's mood. Benji is wholly heartwarming."" -- Shelf Awareness, starred review ""A thoughtful reminder that all siblings need extra love and attention sometimes."" -- Publishers Weekly ""Pla selects a common theme, the power of familial love to overcome adversity, and deftly moves the challenges of autism to a supporting detail rather than a distracting focus in this simple picture book. That Min depicts this family as people of color further broadens this story's inclusive reach. An ordinary story is given a spark of life by the inclusion of an empathetic little brother with autism."" -- Kirkus Reviews Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Starred Review, Shelf Awareness"

Author Information

Sally J. Pla is the award-winning author of several novels for young people, including The Someday Birds and Stanley Will Probably Be Fine. Many of Pla's stories are based on her experience of raising three active boys, very close in age. When her sons were young and having a bad day, they loved being ""made into burritos""--getting wrapped tightly in their blankets. The tight pressure appealed especially to Pla's autistic son. Pla lives with her family in Southern California. You can find her online at sallyjpla.com. Ken Min's picture book debut Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-Ji, published by Lee & Low Books, received the Picture Book Honor for Literature from the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA). Ken is an illustrator and animation storyboard artist for commercials and animated TV shows such as Futurama, Fairly Odd Parents, andNew Looney Tunes. His illustration work has been recognized numerous times by the Society of Children's Books Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). Min lives in Los Angeles, California. You can see more of his artwork online at kenminart.com.

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