"What's Wrong with Timmy?"
by Maria Shriver
Reviewed by Johanna Luttrell, age 18, De Witt, Michigan

Johanna Luttrell

he uninhibited curiosity of a child questioning differences is the subject of Maria Shriver's latest children's book. The story chronicles the queries of a little girl about Timmy, a boy with Down Syndrome. Throughout the course of the book, the two children overcome their differences and develop a friendship. In exploring the topic of special needs from a child's point of view, Shriver has the ability to get inside a child's head, relating her words to their interests. She manages to answer the hard questions with graceful and sensitive understanding.

In the world of children, and adults, it is sometimes difficult to move beyond physical appearance when people appear "different" from us. This book addresses juvenile fears and simplistic judgments, and is a powerful spark for igniting greater understanding. The only fault a reader might find is that the picture painted may be too bright. In reality, prejudices aren't always so easily erased by a few, quick words.

Still, the story is wonderfully crafted to evoke discussion between adults and children about celebrating differences. Shriver's simplistic writing style is likely to maintain even a 6-year-old's attention, while the depth of the subject matter also makes it attractive to adult readers. What's Wrong with Timmy is not a book to be kept on the shelf, but one that should be enjoyed again and again by readers young and old- by anyone lucky enough to discover it.