Book Info:
You are SO Amazing by James and Lucy Catchpole
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Publishing Date: May 4, 2024
Synopsis:
When people meet Joe, they often treat him as Amazing Joe or Poor Joe. But can’t he just be . . . Joe?
One-legged Joe is ‘amazing’. He knows this because wherever he goes people always tell him he’s amazing. Amazing for sliding down the slide, for kicking a ball . . . even walking to get an ice cream, or even just eating an ice cream. Of course, being Amazing Joe is better than being Poor Joe . . .
A groundbreaking picture book which explores how we respond to disability.
Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61400843
About the Author:
James Catchpole was destined to be either an itinerant singer or an amputee footballer. He managed to get off the substitutes’ bench a couple of times for the England Amputee Football Team, and also busked around Provence with a guitar (another profession where it actively helps to have one leg), but reached the limits of his talent in both fields by his mid-twenties, and so joined the family business of children’s books. He now runs The Catchpole Agency with his wife Lucy, and represents authors and illustrators of children’s picture books, non-fiction and novels, including Polly Dunbar, SF Said, Michelle Robinson and David Lucas. Lucy and James live in Oxford with their two young daughters, the eldest of whom is firmly convinced she will be joining the business too – but at five, she has plenty of time to recant.Lucy sometimes writes about disability, family and children’s books. You can find a lot of that on Instagram. She’s written for the BBC and the Guardian. She does not have a handy Amazon bio she can copy and paste. Lucy has grown two whole people (small ones, admittedly).
Author Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecatchpoles
About the Illustrator:
Karen George received a first-class honors degree in fine art as well as an MA from the Royal College of Art. She won Waterstones’ “Picture This” competition to illustrate Freddie and the Fairy and now spends her time drawing, painting, and writing. Karen lives in Bristol with her family and Dr. Calamari the cat. She invites you to visit her online at karengeorge.net and on Instagram @karengeorge_books.
Illustrator Links:
Website: https://karengeorge.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karengeorge_books
Tour Schedule:
When I saw the Blog Tour for You're so Brave i got very emotional and as I am typing this review I feel all the emotions again. The reason why I am having such a reaction is that this is the book I needed as child growing up in the 70s & 80s and having the most amazing disabled parents who didn't let things stop them but it was the reactions of other people. This type of book would of helped me to understand because to me I never saw their disability they were just Mum & Dad.
I loved Joe and really felt for him and I found those around him that said You're so Amazing as pretty condescending. It's like people see the disability before they see the actual person and I think this was shown perfectly in this wonderful book which needs to be seen and read whether that person is an adult or a child.
Thank you James, Laura and Lucy for producing this wonderful book
For all the above reasons You're so Amazing receives 5 stars