A Kid is a Kid is a Kid

A Kid is a Kid is a Kid is a follow-up story to the award-winning A Family is a Family is a Family. Both are written by Sara O’Leary and illustrated by Qin Leng.

The first day at a new school can be difficult. People may be asked questions by others that they prefer not to answer. Kids tend to say what’s on their minds without thinking about how it will make others feel. In A Kid is a Kid is a Kid, the main character is asked whether she/he is a boy or a girl. One by one, other kids join in and add an array of topics they are asked about that they would rather not answer or explain: hobbies, size, where they are from, etc. They realize that being asked these types of questions and experiencing the feeling of preferring not to answer happens to everyone sometimes. Knowing that they are not alone helps to “normalize” that feeling for individuals. Eventually, there is a large group of kids, and they begin to share differences that they choose to share. The story ends with all of the kids playing together and shouting, “A kid is a kid is a kid!” They come to the realization that they are all just kids who want to be accepted by others and have fun playing together.

This picture book portrays all sorts of differences—inside and out. A Kid is a Kid is a Kid is an excellent story with a theme that all kids can relate to since everybody is different. Parents or teachers may use this book as a read-aloud to teach about differences and/or calm nerves that commonly arise in kids around the beginning of a new school year.

Full-page illustrations by Leng are mixed media creations using ink, watercolour, and pastel. A neutral palette dominating the pages aids intentional pops of colour to stand out in several places. As mentioned, there are visible differences among the kids illustrated in the story as well: hair colour, skin tone, and clothing are examples.

Readers of A Kid is a Kid is a Kid will likely seek O’Leary and Leng’s other acclaimed picture book if they are not yet familiar with it. The message of accepting differences is clear, simple, and likely relatable for a young audience. This story is highly recommended for home, classroom, and school libraries.