Shelf Full of Books

Boo’s Beard is about a boy named Tom with a social disability (such as autism) who does not understand facial expressions. When his dog Boo gets her beard tangled up so it looks like a big smile, a girl named Lydia explains to Tom that Boo is smiling and it means she is happy.

Lydia shows Tom other expressions using Boo’s beard and explains those to him as well and by the end of the book, Tom understands that his smile shows he is happy.

I liked this book because it is a good jumping off point to help children understand others who do not have the ability to make the same connection to facial expressions that the rest of us do. At the same time we can use the book to help autistic children understand facial expressions by making them and looking at them in a mirror as we read the book

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I particularly liked that despite Tom’s social difficulties, he was invited to play with the other children. The story gives the message that we should accept the differences in others.

The illustrations in Boo’s Beard are bright, colourful and fun to look at. I thought both the author and illustrator did an excellent job in putting together a book that can be used to help children understand and develop empathy towards others with social disabilities. I have given this book a rating of 5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publishers for the book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books: http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-boos-beard-by-rose-mannering.html