Stewie Boom! And Princess Penelope: Handprints, Snowflakes And Play-Dates

Princess Penelope likes to play make believe, bake, and play with her stuffies. She and her brothers, Stewie and Zoom, get up to plenty of mischief and are very LOUD! There is always lots of activity in the BOOM! household. This isn’t a problem until Eric, Penelope’s new friend at school, comes over for a play-date. He is “on the spectrum,” her mother tells her, and Eric doesn’t like loud noises. Everyone’s mind is a snowflake, says the teacher, each one is different, even if some look similar. Penelope and her brothers have to learn to be quiet and understand how others might feel, listening with more than just their ears, but with their eyes as well.

Stewie BOOM and Princess Penelope: Handprints, Snowflakes, and Play-dates is the latest story in this series by author Christine Bronstein and illustrator Karen L. Young. It is a sweet story for children in the preschool to first or second grade range. It teaches how a person’s brain makes them different and how to respect and understand others, even when they don’t say anything out loud. It is a relateable story for both parents and children, with cute, entertaining illustrations. The end of the book contains helpful pages to guide families for having play-dates that include special needs children, and also tips for moms of special needs children who might need a little help, or at least a pep talk, when raising an SN child.

The emphasis in this story is that, while we are all different, that’s not a bad thing. And while certain people might need different considerations than others, that should, by no means, alienate anyone. The topic of this book is also great for opening up discussion with young children about other kids who might have brains that are wired differently than theirs and to be accepting of that, rather than scared or judgmental. Kids and adults alike can benefit from the message in this book, which teaches understanding, compassion, and kindness for all who are different.