Every child in this book sees the world a little differently. So does the child you love.
Ben needs his routines to stay the same. Willa reads with her ears instead of her eyes. Marcus has the fastest brain in the room and the slowest hand up. Maya carries a courage she hasn’t found the words for yet.
Each of the fifteen stories pairs a child with an animal who shares something of their way of being, and with a Bible story told by someone who loves them — a grandparent, a teacher, a cousin. Daniel refusing the king’s food. Samuel hearing his name in the night. The four friends who went in through the roof. Esther deciding to speak.
Every story ends with a question meant for both of you.
The children in these stories have a range of differences — including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, deafness, low vision, mobility differences and Down syndrome — but their differences are rarely the point of the conflict. They are simply children navigating ordinary challenges, while their particular way of experiencing the world turns out to be exactly what the moment needs.
Priya and the Horse Who Listens With Her Whole Body
Theo and the Cat Who Finds Her Way by Sound
Sophie, Buddy, and the Backyard Built for Everyone
Maya and the Tortoise Who Waits to Come Out
Two free printables built from the book, for families, classrooms and church groups. Both print in black and white. No purchase, no signup.
One page per story: a question to ask before you read, a discussion question, three further prompts and a small activity needing no materials. Plus a six-week plan and notes for reading aloud to a group.
Download the guide (PDF)Fifteen line-art pages drawn from the book’s illustrations — one for every story, with the story’s title on the page so a child can match it to what you read.
Download the pages (PDF)Teachers and group leaders: please copy these freely for a class. More about the printables →