Maybe Just Ask Me! encourages kids to be brave and speak up!

Maybe Just Ask Me!, by Katie Mazeika, (April 2025, Beach Lane Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9781665949897

Ages 4-8

Mazie is excited about starting at her new school and making new friends. She wears her prettiest eye patch and favorite scarf, and she’s ready to answer any questions her classmates may have… but the silence is deafening, and Mazie feels self-conscious. When a breeze blows her scarf off of her head, the whispering starts: did she lose her hair because she worked for the circus and had it burned off by the fire breather? Does she have an eye patch because she was a pirate? Mazie goes through the day hearing her classmates whisper and wonder about Mazie, but no one will talk to her and ask her directly. By the time she’s in gym class, Mazie’s had enough. Blowing her teacher’s whistle to gets her class’s attention, she lays it out for everyone: “… if you really want the story of what happened to me… Maybe just ask me!” Based on the author’s own childhood cancer experience, Maybe Just Ask Me! is about bravery and an invitation to a conversation. So often, people find it easier to murmur behind people’s backs, wondering about someone’s appearance, because it’s either considered rude or too awkward to ask outright, but Mazie shows us that folks want to be seen; they want to share their stories and their experiences to connect with others. By the end of Mazie’s day, she’s got a bunch of brand-new friends because she was brave enough to invite questions. Digital illustrations are colorful and imaginative, bringing pirates, circuses, aliens, and jungle creatures to life as the other kids imagine how Mazie lost an eye and her hair. Mazeika beautifully captures Mazie’s expressions and internal dialogue as she goes through the school day. Back matter includes an author note and a list of ways to be a supportive person. A good choice for social-emotional collections.

Check out this curriculum guide for Maybe Just Ask Me!, and visit TeachingBooks.net for an author interview, a word search, and book cover jigsaw.

“A reminder that kids with disabilities are the authorities of their own stories.” —Kirkus