The Bravest Boy I Ever Knew by Lisa Eichlin
Review by: Chris Singer
About the author:
Lisa Eichlin lives in NJ with her husband and two children. “The Bravest Boy I Ever Knew”, is her first book. She taught preschool for 17 years and now works as a paraprofessional in a local elementary school in NJ. Lisa decided to write this book after realizing there aren’t many children’s books about disabled/handicapped children being friends with “normal” children.
About the book:
“What makes someone brave?”
Michael wants to introduce you to someone very important. This boy is just like you. He loves sports, puzzles, and being outside. He loves to race Michael, often beating him. This boy is a great best friend. Michael wants to be just like him because he’s the bravest boy Michael knows. But why does Michael think he’s so brave?
Find out in The Bravest Boy I Ever Knew.
My take on the book:
This is a beautiful book and a must read for all parents and teachers!
The story is very well done and the illustrations are terrific and very engaging. I love how Michael is so proud of his friend, and how excited he is to share all of the things that make his friend so brave. The last part of the book may be the most poignant and beautiful: “Tada! Introducing the bravest boy I ever knew. I hope someday I can be as brave as him.”
I think it’s so important to teach young children about why other children might have a disability causing them to be in a wheelchair. Kids usually have so many questions about the wheelchair and about whether the child can or can’t do things. I think there’s a certain anxiety about it for children as well. This is why a book like this can help so much in normalizing it for children.
I highly recommend this wonderful tale of friendship.