What's Wrong with Timmy?

What's Wrong with Timmy? is a book that broaches the difficult subject of children with disabilities in an approachable way. The story follows Kate, a curious 8-year-old that is always asking questions about what she doesn't understand. When she sees a boy in the park that does not look like she does, she asks her mother, "What's wrong with Timmy?" Her mother took an extended amount of time to talk to her and explain the idea of a disability to her. Despite this, Kate was still nervous and scared to interact with Timmy. He was different than her and he made her uncomfortable. After a formal introduction, however, Kate learns that Timmy has a lot more in common with her than she originally thought. She includes him in a basketball game with her friends and decides that they will be friends for a long time. 

I think that this book does a great job of approaching this subject in a genuine and gentle way. The way that the mother explains things to her daughter is very candid in nature and I appreciate that. It almost gives adults directions on how to have this difficult conversation with inquisitive children. One thing that I noticed was the use of the word "retarded" in this book. This book was published in 2001, so the movement to abolish that word from society's vocabulary was just beginning. I hope that the author considers re-printing the text with a more appropriate word that is socially acceptable at this point. 

I enjoyed the illustrations best as they were etherial, whimsical, and evoked a lot of feeling.  The lack of detail made it so that a reader could really picture whoever they wanted in the story, which broadened the audience and helped me see myself in the characters. 

Overall, I think that this book does a great job of approaching children with disabilities and the curiosity that other children may have when encountering them for the first time. The focus on religion and God's will was a little much for me, so I feel as though teachers should think carefully about using this in a classroom. It does, however, confront a difficult topic in a natural and gentle way that would help students become more understanding, so I think it is great! 

What's Wrong with Timmy? 
By: Maria Shriver 
Illustrated by: Sandra Speidel 
Published in 2001