Thank you for checking out my blog post. I’m thrilled to bring you the You’re SO Amazing written by James & Lucy Catchpole Book Tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Book Tours. 

About You’re SO Amazing

When people meet Joe, they often treat him as Amazing Joe or Poor Joe. But can’t he just be . . . Joe?

One-legged Joe is ‘amazing’. He knows this because wherever he goes people always tell him he’s amazing. Amazing for sliding down the slide, for kicking a ball . . . even walking to get an ice cream, or even just eating an ice cream. Of course, being Amazing Joe is better than being Poor Joe . . .

A groundbreaking picture book that explores how we respond to disability.

My Thoughts

The subject of this book is near and dear to my heart. For twenty years, I worked with special population adults and took sixty-five participants bowling every week. I thought they were AMAZING! Not because of their abilities but because of their hearts. Thankfully, I didn’t have to bowl myself. No matter how I threw the ball, nine pins were the most that would fall. Spending more time moaning and groaning, I didn’t enjoy the sport at all. 

I loved to watch as a participant took their turn… and got one pin down. As I cringed, the entire team cheered for them! Wow. Note to self – this wonderful group of adults has plenty to teach me! 

Review for You’re SO Amazing

Joe only has one leg. He knows what he’s missing – but goes on about his serious business of playing. He notices how everyone praises everything he does – including just scratching his bottom. People continually praised him until he just wanted to be invisible. No one should feel that way. He didn’t want everyone feeling sorry for him either. 

This story brings these points to light in a gentle way while focusing on Joe’s feelings. The illustrations showcase the story and are simply adorable. Overall, it’s a fabulous story that brings awareness to inclusion. 

About the Author

James Catchpole was destined to be either an itinerant singer or an amputee footballer. He managed to get off the substitutes’ bench a couple of times for the England Amputee Football Team, and also busked around Provence with a guitar (another profession where it actively helps to have one leg), but reached the limits of his talent in both fields by his mid-twenties, and so joined the family business of children’s books. 

He now runs The Catchpole Agency with his wife Lucy, and represents authors and illustrators of children’s picture books, non-fiction and novels, including Polly Dunbar, SF Said, Michelle Robinson and David Lucas. Lucy and James live in Oxford with their two young daughters, the eldest of whom is firmly convinced she will be joining the business too – but at five, she has plenty of time to recant.

Lucy sometimes writes about disability, family and children’s books. You can find a lot of that on Instagram. She’s written for the BBC and the Guardian. She does not have a handy Amazon bio she can copy and paste. Lucy has grown two whole people (small ones, admittedly).

Website – Goodreads – Instagram 

About the Illustrator

Karen George received a first-class honors degree in fine art as well as an MA from the Royal College of Art. She won Waterstones’ “Picture This” competition to illustrate Freddie and the Fairy and now spends her time drawing, painting, and writing. Karen lives in Bristol with her family and Dr. Calamari the cat.

Website – Instagram 

You’re SO Amazing Tour Schedule

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