Publisher: Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster
Publishing: October 27th, 2026
Format Read: Hardcover
Number of pages: 48 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Opening Line: "Bitsy Bat woke up to a white world outside."
Bitsy Bat wakes up to her first snowfall. Usually, her family hibernates for the winter, but this year the snow arrived early. She's excited to try all the fun winter activates with her friends from school. However, playing in the snow turns out to be cold and wet, and sledding is much scarer than she imagined.
Bitsy then goes inside where she worries that her friends won't like her anymore. Then she finds Enzo the owl and Mo in the reading nook. They explain that they like the snow, but not necessarily playing in it. Slowly, Bitsy realizes that it's okay not to like the same things as everyone else. Sometimes it's more important to be honest about how we really feel.
According to the publisher's description, this third installment in the popular Bitsy Bat series is told from an autistic perspective and celebrates the qualities that make each individual shine. Extensive backmatter provides information about autism, including terms and definitions that explain neurodivergence, what autistic masking is, and the importance of showing empathy to others. An author's note shares the authors experiences as a person with autism and what she hopes readers will take away from the story. Overall, this is an adorable book that delivers a beautiful message about friendships that support what makes us different. It would make a cozy winter read-aloud while encouraging empathy and inclusion.
No comments:
Post a Comment