1. It teaches others it’s okay to be curious

In true kid fashion, Maya has LOTS of questions. Thankfully, the boy in the story doesn’t mind. He appreciates that she wants to learn more about him, and he’s happy to answer her.

It’s normal to notice differences in other people and to want to talk about them. But it’s never okay to put others down or treat them badly because of it. Maya knows this and shows young readers one way of starting these important conversations.

2. It encourages everyone to be themselves

Maya is confident in approaching the boy and learning more about him. The boy is confident in advocating for himself and spreading food allergy awareness. Both accept the other one exactly the way they are. It encourages readers to be themselves.

Come as you are! When you are with the right people, they will accept all of you. Even the parts you think are scary.

3. It shows kids we have more in common than not

Everybody has something that makes them different or unique. It’s okay to embrace those differences. But it’s also true no matter how different someone appears to be, they likely share many things in common, too. All you have to do is look for them- or in Maya’s case, ask.

When she does, she learns that the boy likes to play, sing, bake, dance, and race – the same as her! Yes, kids with food allergies do things differently but they are kids, too.

4. It reinforces compassion and kindness

At first, the boy seems weird to Maya. But rather than just assume he is and move on, or worse- shun him for it, she takes the time to get to know him. She asks him questions and really listens. She learns how food allergies impact his life, and then they have some fun together.

It’s like the age-old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Maya chooses kindness and in turn, gains a special new friend. Being kind is cool.

5. It’s fun to read out loud

Everybody loves a good rhyming book! Not only are they useful for memorization skills and phonemic skills- but they’re also just plain fun to read out loud. And Can You?: A Food Allergy Story doesn’t disappoint. Check it out! If you do, be sure to come back and let us know what you think.