What If Everybody Thought That?

What If Everybody? #3

by Ellen Javernick, Colleen Madden (Illustrations)

What if everybody were more thoughtful before they judged someone? If you see someone in a wheelchair, you might think he or she couldn’t compete in a race. But…you might be wrong. What if you see a child with no hair? Do you think she is embarrassed all the time? How about a kid who has a really hard time reading? Do you think that means he’s not smart? You might think so. But…you might be wrong. With clear prose and lighthearted artwork, this companion book to the bestseller What If Everybody Did That? explores the preconceived notions we have about the world and encourages kids to be more thoughtful.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Teaching, Cultural, Social Issues, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 2019

About the author

Ellen Javernick is the author of more than twenty books for children, including the Children's Choice Book Award finalist The Birthday Pet, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley. She has been an elementary school teacher for more than twenty years and currently teaches kindergarten. She lives in Loveland, Colorado.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 2 out of 5]

My family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books every year. This is book #21 (of 21, so the last, I promise!) of 2019, and we had mixed reviews (in other words, some liked it, and I didn’t so much). What If Everybody Thought That? is part of a series by Ellen Javernik that makes the basic point that we should be tolerant of what other people think and say and do.

Lyra (12): 3. Totally sweet, nice moral telling everyone to try to find the best in people [see below whether you would agree I have learned from this book!]. It’s kind of repetitive, but I loved the words in the background and the hair!

Hank (13): 2. Everyone saying everything behind their backs, but the point was repetitive.

Harry (15): 4. Nice point, good artwork.

Tara: 3. A tolerance book. It was all right. A bit cheesy. I liked the dedication to her “special needs” brother and her reason for writing it.

Dave: 2. Okay, fairly typical anti-stereotyping book. Not a fan of the art or the unoriginal concept (and it’s a sequel from her on the same concept!), but it’s okay. Surely not one of the best of thousands of new picture books of the year!

See Rod Brown on this book and the Amazon-owned press, Two Lions:

Pirates Don't Go to Kindergarten! was the third lackluster book from the publisher Two Lions that I had read in three days during my Goodreads Awards project. I'd never heard of this publisher before, so I started wondering how they came out of nowhere to have not even three but SIX nominees in the opening round. A close look at the verso page revealed Two Lions is an Amazon company. And with a 7th book from Amazon Crossing Kids in the Picture Book nominees, that means somehow, magically, Amazon -- the owner of Goodreads -- managed to capture nearly half the slots in the opening round. What a coincidence!

Me: Ugh.

[Rod Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodreads Choice Awards Project: Read as many of the opening round Best Picture Book nominees as possible. I previously read two, so 12 to go!

Best of intentions, worst execution. One page sets up a scenario in which people think nasty or closed-minded thoughts, usually involving a person with a disability or some other physical challenge, and the next page upends those snap judgements and poor expectations. Just that, over and over, with some scenarios seeming less likely than others, and some outright unrealistic.

And this seems to be third in a series? They did this same thing in two previous books? I suppose the intent is to use the book as a springboard for discussions with your children. For me and my wife, not much fun to read or read aloud.

Update 11/10/2019:
AMAZON CONSPIRACY THEORY!!!!! THE FIX IS IN FOR THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS!!!!

Pirates Don't Go to Kindergarten! was the the third lackluster book from the publisher Two Lions that I had read in three days during my Goodreads Awards project. I'd never heard of this publisher before, so I started wondering how they came out of nowhere to have not even three but SIX nominees in the opening round. A close look at the verso page revealed Two Lions is an Amazon company. And with a 7th book from Amazon Crossing Kids in the Picture Book nominees, that means somehow, magically, Amazon -- the owner of Goodreads -- managed to capture nearly half the slots in the opening round. What a coincidence!

A quick look at the other categories seems to show that Amazon is not dominating those in the same way, but this still seems pretty darn sketchy. Another good thing tainted...

I recommend everyone do write-ins for this category and try to push out the Two Lions books. I recommend Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl or Dandy.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring, didactic, and honestly just seems to focus too much on the kids' judgmental thoughts and seemed to not give them enough credit? Idk, maybe I live in more multi-cultural society than the audience of this book, but kids never having heard of sushi and like very common Mexican food like refried beans and tacos and saying they sound gross seems totally unrealistic to me. Also, terrible offensive depiction of a fat kid as the red-faced slowest person in the race. Everyone will surprise you with their abilities except the fat girl who confirms your fatphobic assumptions!

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee 2019

This book is supposed to be about not judging people or things until you get to know them or try something. Also, you should not stereotype people because you don’t know what they are capable of. They are guilty of this themselves. In the entire book, there is only one overweight kid. They have her illustrated as being the last one to finish the race. She appears to be struggling and is all red faced. I’ve known many sporty overweight kids who could have won the race. While in all of the other situations the person exceeded expectations, the overweight kid is running over the words “run at your own pace,” as if we know she can’t keep up. So, the moral of this book is that every single person and thing you expect to be a certain way are just as good as any other, except the overweight kid.

[Alice Ball · Rating 2 out of 5]

An important message that ends up feeling a bit forced.

[Andrea Fleury · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will be surprised

Great story about how some people think what can't be accomplished really can. Wonderful illustrations. Love the bright colors. Kids will love it

[Aolund · Rating 2 out of 5]

The message here is superficially good, but I found the format somewhat inaccessible and the message to lack substance when considered more deeply. Throughout the book various scenarios are presented where school children are depicted thinking mean, judgmental, or dismissive thoughts about a fellow classmate. For example, a child who is depicted as neurodivergent is shown spelling a word wrong on the board, and his classmates think thoughts such as "he shouldn't be in this class." On the next page, the same child is shown skillfully guiding a robot through a maze, with his classmates proclaiming their awe at his robotics prowess. Obviously, this is great! However, I didn't like the idea that the answer to "What if everybody thought that" kept being "they might be wrong." I think the more powerful message really is about how being negatively judgmental and mean is unkind and counterproductive.

The format is also made up of speech bubbles and more deconstructed text formatting (i.e. having the question "What if everybody thought that" held up by characters with each word written on a sign), which makes it a little challenging to read fluidly.

That being said, this book would certainly be useful in a variety of settings, especially one on one readings, and potentially useful in settings with a mentor or therapist.

[Clementine · Rating 3 out of 5]

i mean, it was very didactic, but it might work for some.

[Stacia Leigh]

Great message, but wished for a more fulfilling ending.

[Villain E · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with sentiment, but this is not good. The format is first a double-page illustration with some kids thinking negative thoughts about another child. The narration says "What if everybody thought that?" Flip the page and the child is doing something special and the text says "They might be wrong."

Like, the opening page is a group of kids doubting a short boy playing basketball. This is followed by him flying up to the basket.

First of all, I would have preferred something more realistic, like maybe he's a good long-distance shooter. An unrealistic arguement indirectly validates the negative opinions. Second of all, I would have liked some positive thoughts beyond "Wow" to balance out the negative thoughts. Third of all, the format is very clunky trying to read aloud.

[Tara Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tolerance book. It was all right. A little cheesy.

[Caitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first two books in this series were wonderful.

The third one.... not a winner. The book covers controversial topics in a way that appears to make a joke about people's differences. The way this particular book covers these topics such as alopecia, cultural diversity, and learning disabilities is not developmentally appropriate for the elementary school ages, which I believe is the target audience. Although the examples regarding how to lift one another up are positive, the way in which the book covers how someone might have misconceptions about others who are different are really quite cruel. I'm aware that these hurtful, negative comments are a reality for some, and I'm not disputing that. I don't believe these examples are necessary to make the point that we should treat each other with kindness.
When I put myself in the place of a student who may share similar experiences to the characters in this book, I would feel even more embarrassed to have this read in front of my peers.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book aims to teach children not to be closed-minded. Every other page gives thought bubbles of preconceived notions, bullying thoughts, and rude statements about a kid who unique, and then the next page shows that kid exceeding or subverting expectations. On the one hand, I like that it addresses that sometimes people think presumptuous or nasty things about others that jump into our heads. People of all ages and levels of "wokeness" need to admit that we all have biases, conscious and unconscious, and it requires active effort to catch ourselves (and yet people still get their knickers in a twist over Critical Race Theory and want to pretend like colorblindness is an achievable or even a worthy goal). On the other hand, this book gives kids lots of ideas on how to bully others and it can be a bit preachy and a tad unrealistic (like are they really going to give the girl in the wheelchair a trophy for winning against the runners? Or would someone say that if she wins it doesn't count...) I think this book can be helpful to be included in a larger discussion on bullying and biases, but that there are probably better ones out there on the subject.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year, I shared the book What If Everybody Said That? with you. What If Everybody Thought That? is another book in this wonderful children’s book series that teaches children that kindness matters. And kindness doesn’t just matter in our words but in our thoughts too.

What we think matters because what we think is shown by how we act. If we think someone can’t be a basketball player because they’re shorter, we might not pick them for our team. If that were the case, Isaiah Thomas may never have been given the chance to play basketball. At 5’9″, he’s one of the shortest NBA players, but he’s also one of the best!

And what if everybody thought that having a disability meant that disability held them back? Then we wouldn’t have athletes with artificial legs winning races. What we think matters!

What If Everybody Thought That? is a very important book to share with your children. Teach them that making assumptions about someone or something different is not the way to think. This is a great book to add to your child’s library.

[Lo]

I had high & unrealistic expectations based on the title. That sentiment that diversity of thought is crucial for our species' survival is one that I wish more adults understood, so teaching it to kids would be phenomenal!

This was more about not judging others, though, and how people can defy your expectations and surprise you. There was some good disability representation, which I appreciate, but overall it just wasn't very "fun," and I think it might be a bit hokey for real children. I'm pretty sure that even at a pretty young age, I would have rolled my eyes and thought, "that is so unrealistic to real life." And it still is... I can't remember the last time I saw one person delightedly shout they were wrong about something, let alone crowd of people. I wish!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes several examples of the things that many people think and show how you might be wrong.
For instance if you see a child without hair do you think they are embarrassed all of the time?
Or if you see someone in a wheelchair, you might think he or she can't compete in a race.
If you see a child that has a hard time reading do you think that means he's not smart?
In all of these cases, you might think so, but you might be wrong.
This book is the companion book to "What If Everybody Did that?"
It encourages kids to be more compassionate and thoughtful.
I don't think this book is nearly as good as the first one, "What if Everybody Did That" but it is a launching point for conversations about how our preconceived notions might be wrong.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes when people see things they don’t understand they may form a negative opinion. In this handy guide young readers will see the thoughts of characters when they see something they don’t understand. Young readers will also get to see what happens once these characters learn and embrace something new and different.

This book is perfect for introducing young kids to ways of life that may be different from their own and teach them how others navigate and exist in everyday life. Parents and teachers can use this as a tool to teach about disabilities, religion, race, culture and so much more.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like that this book teaches kiddos to challenge the validity of their thoughts. It doesn’t necessarily degrade or punish them for having the thoughts—which would be unfair because we can’t always control the thoughts we have—but it does teach them to question their thoughts. Just because you think it, doesn’t make it true. And thankfully, all the kiddos keep their questionable thoughts to themselves, so that when they see those thoughts are wrong they can choose actions based on truth and not problematic or hurtful thinking. I also liked that the situations varied, but remained realistic to ones that kids may encounter.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Even without that part that bugged the crap out of me, this is overly simplistic and heavy-handedly didactic. Yes, we all should question our assumptions, and kids need to be taught not to judge other people. Nice message.

AND THEN. In the section about how we shouldn't assume a person in a wheelchair can't win a race, it shows a fat, red-faced kid SUPER far back in the race. losing by an unbelievable margin. THIS IS REALLY WHAT IT PICTURES. I was kind of stunned. What a shitty thing to have in a book about not assuming that we can know other people's abilities. It was just unnecessary.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's so great about this book is that usually the kids making fun have been made fun of. So when you write a book with colorful, accessible, fun illustrations and give your reader the opportunity to see how many different ways people can be mean... and in turn, kind... it will capture a very large audience. Look for the ah-ha moment at every turn of the page.

Use this charming book for small group or individual discussion starters on how words hurt and attitudes can change. Read it to your whole classroom for a confidence-boosting, feel-good character lesson starter.

[Catherine Schaffrath]

"What If Everybody Thought That?" explores the concept of empathy and the importance of considering the consequences of our actions on others. It uses scenarios such as "What if everybody broke the rules?" or "What if everybody made a mess?" to demonstrate the negative consequences that would occur if everyone acted this way. I could use this book in my future classroom to encourage my students to consider the impact of their actions and empower them to contribute to creating a more caring and respectful classroom community.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a book to use for those social-emotional learning goals in school. It looks as how we can make judgments about people from their looks on the outside without ever giving them a chance or believing in them. The message at the end is the best and that is if we believed in the good and the potential in everyone to do everything, wouldn't that be the world that we'd like to live in. I know it would be for me and admittedly I still have a way to go.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is terrific. It starts with an illustration and then kids thinking bad things about that illustration. Like a girl in a wheelchair: she cant run, she has to sit out, etc. Then it says “what if they are wrong” and the next illustrations show the more positive side of things. I’m explaning it bad, but if you read the book you get it. It’s a great and very important lesson done in a fun and easy to understand way.
+16 #wintergames #teamelectricsex #TBRread

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the message but didn't love the script or the art. I'll have to check out What If Everybody Said That?, which reviewers wrote has the same message but read better.
(Picked up because it was a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee.)

[Trina Stets · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a exciting book that everyone should read because this book (#3 in the series) really shows precise detail art work,illustrations on subjects that are difficult to talk about with children. It explains questions about children in a wheelchair and other skin color. It talks about the disability, color issues and others questions that children are curious about. Very done and explicit wording which coincides with the amazing illustrations. A must read for all ages.

[Chinook · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I can see that this could stimulate good discussion about not judging people/new experiences before you give them a chance, I wasn’t too fond of the format. Everyone is thinking negative thoughts, no one thinks any differently? There’s not a single kid interested to try new foods? Who’s heard of the Special Olympics and doesn’t think a girl in a wheelchair can’t compete? It felt overall like quite a negative book, even though the intent was good.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm trying to find a book on empathy and being nice; this one... sort of works? Like, if you had to put together a list, this would be fine to put on it. I don't think it's one I'll be using, but it could be a good conversation-starter. I kind of don't like reading the mean things some people think, because a lot of little ones haven't even been conditioned to think those mean thoughts yet. But I don't know- it was harmless.

[Patricia Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: contemporary realistic fiction, grades K-1
This book is a pretty basic exploration of prejudice and stereotypes, but it could make for a good introduction. I like the premise of not thinking the way everybody else does, because oftentimes everybody can be wrong. The book stays so basic and simple that I doubt any students older than first grade would get much out of it. However, that basic introduction is still important! This is a great book for early elementary classrooms.

[Sara Bushaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book, to begin with complimenting the lighthearted artwork/illustrations that are in this book. They are intriguing and appealing to young children and use vibrant colors. This book does a great job focusing on to think for yourself and to be thoughtful on what others are going through. It has a great theme and provides many examples to make the point of to not judge a book by its cover!

[Emma Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to help support social-emotional development and help young students think about how their actions might affect the people around them. There are a few disabilities represented throughout the book. Since the author shows a potential situation and then a potential reality, misconceptions surrounding disabilities could be cleared up. In the classroom, this book would be a great resource for students to learn to think positively about themselves and others.