ADA AND THE HELPERS

A young fox who is deaf inspires every creature she meets to help others in Peterson’s picture book.

Ada the fox has been wearing aids to help her hear since she was just a cub. Her parents tell her that just like her hearing aids are helpers to assist her in hearing better, she can be a helper, too. On her way to dance in a talent show, Ada meets a mole who can’t see well in the light, a finch who stutters but sings beautifully, and a snake who can’t reach apples from a tree. After she encourages each of them, the three friends join Ada at the talent show to help keep her fears (“will the others laugh at me?”) from getting in the way of her dancing. With a catchy refrain about helping others, this rhyming picture book affirms the notion that a kind word, no matter how small, can be just what someone else needs to hear. Peterson shows that kindness magnified back, creating a community of helpers. The text’s scansion flows well throughout with a steady beat worthy of Ada’s breakdancing. ASL translations highlight a word in each spread and provide directions for signing the letters. Fischer’s cartoon illustrations feature friendly forest animals wearing various articles of human clothing; the muted earth tones work well for the woodland setting and make Ada’s purple tutu stand out.

A sweet, community-building story that highlights different abilities and the importance of offering a helping hand.