This Is How We Play: A Celebration of Disability & Adaptation

This is How We Play is a book that celebrates disability and adaptation. This book shows the various ways families play, each one featuring someone who has a disability. This book shows how the families have used adaptations, imagination, and consideration in their play so that everyone can join in. 

What I Liked: The cover of this book drew me instantly as various disabilities were included and there were also various racial backgrounds included. I appreciated the variety of disabilities that are included especially as some are not often thought about. I also love that invisible disabilities were also included throughout the book. 

I love that this book incorporates various ways people can play and the adaptations that can be made for different disabilities. The author includes people with physical disabilities as well as cognitive disabilities. I love that the illustrations also include the mobility devices that people use, communication devices, services animals, and items that people might use to stim with. 

Something that stood out to me was how the author incorporated playing with those who may only have interaction available through a phone or computer, as well as those who can’t leave the bed. I love that there were ways to play that didn’t require much energy from the person with a disability. I loved the imagination the author uses in the various ways to play. One example is the child using her grandfather’s cane as a tree in the game they are playing. 

Final Verdict: This is How We Play is a great book to show children various ways to play with those with disabilities. Children will enjoy seeing how the ways that they engage with some of their family members are considered play, and other ways in which they can interact with people with disabilities.