Ben, King of the River by David Gifaldi

Illustrated by Layne Johnson.p., Whitman, 2006. Embarrassment, worry, and annoyance may be part of having a sibling who has a developmental disability - but so are creativity, empathy, and connection. In this story, Chad and his family go on their first camping trip together. Chad's 5-year-old younger brother, Ben, has a developmental disability, and knowing that Ben dislikes new experiences and has allergies, Chad worries about how Ben will react. Ben feels happiest and safest watching videos, and is prone to saying "no" and whining, and has toileting difficulties and little frustration tolerance. But it turns out that Ben enjoys playing in the cold river, watching the campfire start, and eating roasted marshmallows, Although he's socially inappropriate (he wants to hug new acquaintances, even if they've been unkind), he finds ways to make connections (high-fiving the new acquaintances, giving Chad a roasted marshmallow). And although Ben annoys Chad (for example, embarrassing him by screaming when he doesn't want to get out of the river, reacting strongly to the presence of a bug), Chad is supportive toward him (for example, showing him how to make a cape out of his beach towel, explaining his behavior to other kids). The vivid watercolor illustrations clearly show the children's emotional experiences. An afterword by the author's 13-year-old nephew, whose life situation is similar to Chad's, describes some of the disadvantages and advantages of living with a developmentally disabled sibling, and an empathic author's note offers coping strategies. With optimism and understanding, this story validates and normalizes the experiences of children whose sibling is developmentally disabled. Ages 5-11