Up and Adam Written by Debbie Zapata

One particular day, a young boy’s unique differences make an impactful difference in the community. Adam, a young boy with Down Syndrome, and his dog Up enjoy breakfast when news footage of last week’s storm flashes across the screen. The mayor then appears to communicate that there is still so much more work to do in the storm recovery efforts. She encourages people of the community to get, “Up and at’em!” Adam innocently mistakes the mayor’s command for Up and Adam. With Up in the wagon and Adam pulling in tow, the dynamic duo set out in the streets of their community to lend a helping hand to anyone they come across. After a day of service, they head home to bake cookies and head straight to the boardwalk, passing them out with a smile to passersby, including Madam Mayor. She congratulates Adam for his kindness and community service. During Up and Adam’s nighttime routine, Adam thinks about all the different people he helped earlier in the day. That thought makes him smile, and he realizes just how important a pair of smiles and helping hands can make a difference. This thoughtful story is an excellent example of text that can teach a powerful message of celebrating individuality, volunteerism, and caring for one’s community. The delicate and detailed illustrations complement this heart-warming story, and it aims to be a treasured book amongst primary and elementary classrooms. The story also highlights the benefits of inclusivity of different people, a valuable lesson for the book’s audience to absorb. Highly recommend for school and classroom libraries as it’s an inspiring story about how the power of two helping hands and a smile can cultivate a beautiful community spirit.