This Is How We Play: A Celebration of Disability & Adaptation

PreS-Gr 1–Disability rights activists Slice and Cupp present a joyful and empowering exploration of families at play. On each spread, this rhythmic and musical rhyming story explores a new family at play. Every spread has a family member who has a disability and explores how to use adaptive, imaginative, and considerate play for inclusive joy. The affirming refrain says, “With love and adaptation, this is how we play!” Children and adults pictured are shown with mobility aids, service animals, and sensory tools. Families of all different skin tones are depicted with and without masks and in medical offices, homes, and parks. The back matter includes a guide for kids and grown-ups to think, learn, and talk about disabilities, including those represented in the book. The authors also present information about their own disabilities and mention interviewing families for each spread in the story. Harren’s digitally created and detailed, full-color illustrations fill spreads with one scene across the two pages. They are balanced between bold foregrounds and muted backgrounds, creating very inviting pages to explore beyond the relation to the text.