What If Everybody Thought That?

by Ellen Javernick, Colleen Madden (Illustrator)

Overview

What if everybody were more thoughtful before they judged someone?

If you see someone in a wheelchair, you might think he or she couldn’t compete in a race. But…you might be wrong. What if you see a child with no hair? Do you think she is embarrassed all the time? How about a kid who has a really hard time reading? Do you think that means he’s not smart? You might think so. But…you might be wrong.

With clear prose and lighthearted artwork, this companion book to the bestseller What If Everybody Did That? explores the preconceived notions we have about the world and encourages kids to be more thoughtful.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781542091374
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Series:	What If Everybody? Series , #3
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ellen Javernick is the author of more than twenty books for children, including The Birthday Pet, illustrated by Kevin O’Malley, and the bestselling picture books What If Everybody Did That? and What If Everybody Said That?, both illustrated by Colleen Madden. Javernick has been an elementary school teacher for more than twenty years. She lives in Loveland, Colorado.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2019

PreS-Gr 2—Keeping an open mind is a challenge for some kids, and adhering to a narrow viewpoint can limit their own experiences and impact their acceptance of people who seem different. This simple concept book shows how wrongheaded assumptions can be when it comes to trying unfamiliar foods or judging others with nontraditional learning styles, disabilities, or different physical attributes. Cheerful mixed media artwork presents individuals of varied backgrounds and ages. Speech bubbles are used to reveal children's initial prejudices, with page turns employed to indicate their revised opinions. The refrain that appears throughout is "What if everybody thought that?… They might be wrong." VERDICT This is a message-driven work but certainly a message that still needs to be delivered either in a classroom setting or during a parent-child teaching moment. A worthwhile acquisition.—Gloria Koster, formerly at West School, New Canaan, CT

School Library Journal

2019-04-28
Thinking mean-spirited thoughts can be just as damaging as saying them out loud.

Javernick and Madden pair up once again (What If Everybody Did That?, 2010 and What If Everybody Said That?, 2018), this time to address bullying in a school setting. One hopes that all schools are diverse with regard to both culture and ability, but it can be difficult to help students see beyond differences. Javernick poses scenarios in which children exhibit varying physical disabilities, learning disabilities, medical conditions, and more. A group of children is often depicted scrutinizing one (four taller kids in gym class look to a shorter one, thinking, "He's too little to play basketball" and "He'll NEVER get that ball in the hoop") as the titular phrase asks, "What if EVERYBODY thought that?" The following spread reads, "They might be wrong" as vignettes show the tiny tot zipping around everyone and scoring. If one sees someone using a wheelchair and automatically thinks, "Too bad she can't be in the relay race"—well, "they might be wrong." The (literal) flipside offered to each scenario teaches children to be aware of these automatic assumptions and hopefully change perceptions. Madden's mixed-media illustrations show a diverse array of characters and have intentional, positive messages hidden within, sometimes scratched in chalk on the ground or hanging up in a frame on a classroom wall.

Thoughts always inform actions; if we can help youngsters see individuals instead of differences, there's hope. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews