The Boy Who Said Wow by Todd Boss and Rashin Kheiriyeh - ESSENTIAL

The Boy Who Said Wow by Todd Boss, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh. PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane Books (Simon), 2024. $19. 9781534499713

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Ronan, a nine year old boy, was a very quiet boy. Despite his parents best efforts, he wouldn't say much. His grandfather came over and said, "Let's go to a concert!" It would be an adventure! On the drive over, Ronan was quiet, even when the lights went down, Ronan was quiet. However, once the symphony was over, Ronan said one word "WOW!" This picture book is based on a boy named Ronan Mattin who was born nonverbal. It is a sweet story showing how powerful music can be.

I liked this book because it is based off a true story. It is important to have protagonists that have disabilities. It can be read as a simple picture book or you can dive deeper into the powerful message it provides.

Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher