A great book discussing being appreciative of the things you have. The book sheds light on how others may have great things, but your life also has things that are great that others do not have. This book would be a great book to have in the classroom to have students "brag" about the things that are wonderful in their lives. Students could also do a walk around to discuss things they like about others. This book also provides a glimpse into the life of having a sibling with a disability. The MC has a brother who is blind and can read Braille. This also provides a great opportunity to discuss how each of us is different and how being different is good. Great book for younger audiences to use as a social-emotional learning reading.
The illustrations in this book leave a lot to be imagined and lack color that would draw in a lot of readers, but the story itself is cute.

Thank you NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for an e-reader copy of this book.

This book is a must for my personal library as well as in my library stacks. It is absolutely important to have a diverse range of books in which everyone can picture themselves within the story. This story hits for the children that are visually impaired as well as the siblings. I loved Mateo and Bruno's story, and hope that we get more from this author.

This was such a sweet read. I definitely think children would get a lot out of this. Every single person has things that make them lucky and sometimes it just takes a different perspective to find that out.

Lucky Me is an enlightening and empowering book told through the eyes of a child, showing that disabilities are just challenges to be embraced. No matter the toys someone else owns and how much better their lives seemingly are, the book explains why it is always important to show kindness, and open up our minds and hearts to learn about the situations of others. What a motivating book that all children should read!

A child with a visually impaired brother talks about the differences between his family’s household arrangements, and those of his friends’ family in this book.His brother's differences are not only accommodated, they are celebrated. The service dog who helps his brother, also known as a seeing eye dog, is a cherished member of the family with an important job. Seeing eye dogs lead people through obstacles, and help them handle daily activities



Children learn about how people with visual impairments can live lives that most of us would consider normal with some accommodation. I consider this book to be an essential purchase for most libraries.

I loved the sweet inclusive message of this book. It was a great way to introduce my young son to people who are different like the deaf sibling in the book. The book was sweet and showed such a nice bond between the siblings, and showed how wonderful it is to embrace diversity. I think every school and home library needs this book. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

What a great way to teach children not to take what they have for granted while also understanding that not everyone is in the same situation. The illustrations are great, not my personal favorite, but I appreciate the style, and I'm sure others will love them.

I received a free copy of this book on Netgalley.

Lucky Me by Lawrence Schimel - 5/5
Children's Fiction

The illustrations in this book are stunning! They are eye catching and truly caught my attention through the story. The author did an amazing job writing this story. The children's book showcases how important it is to always remember that there are thousands of other children's and families out in the world, and we shouldn't take what we have for granted.
I have been reading a lot of children books where disabilities and medical concerns are talked about, and I am loving them all. I love a story that does not only help the readers understand the situation but the children as well. It is good to talk about this with our children and to let them ask questions and understand, so when they meet a friend, they too understand.
I haven't seen many stories of blind children represented in picture books and am glad i was able to come across this story. A blind sibling and how it can be portrayed form that sibling's point of view.

Available publication date October 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for the eARC.

I absolutely adore the illustrations in this book! This is beautifully written, showing how each of us has different needs and that's okay. It's also a great lesson in gratitude and the fact that it is written in verse makes it fit into even more curriculum areas. I cannot wait to add this to my classroom!

This children's book really showcases how important it is to remember that, whatever we have compared to other families, shouldn't be taken for granted. Between the two families featured in this book and observing his blind sibling while comparing with his friend, the main character understands that, despite the obstacles present, he is still lucky to have what he haves. It's an important value for a child to learn and remember.

It took me a long time in my adult life to start appreciating what I have instead of making comparisons and this children's book is about exactly that. It’s teaching to reflect on your own blessings and avoid comparison which is a perspective that's incredibly important to have in life. Lucky Me was an easy, quick read about how people may live in very different ways. I also really appreciated the disability rep. Great for school libraries!

A unique children's book about counting your blessings and appreciating what you have instead of making comparisons or feeling envy. I really liked the approach to disability rep; the protagonist simply describes his brother matter-of-factly instead of outright saying that he is blind. It took me awhile to truly appreciate the story but was a lovely read nevertheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this book, and will be purchasing for the youth collection at my library. The illustrations are wonderful. I feel like I don’t often see blind children represented in picture books, and this does it in such a positive way. This is about having a blind sibling, but it could be wonderful for a child who has a blind friend, another family member, or a classmate. This was very well done and easy to digest.

Lucky Me is a wonderful story about a boy who has a visually impaired brother. It talks about the ways they are different and all the wonderful things for both of them. I grew up with a hearing impaired brother, and it is so important for kids to learn that just because someone is different from us, it doesn't mean bad! We are all different and special, and we are all lucky in our own ways! I really enjoyed the positive things this story brings out about visually impaired kids. All libraries should have a copy of this book!

[Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for my honest review on the book!]

Lucky Me is a sweet picture book about a young boy, Bruno, sharing with us how lucky he is to have a brother. I appreciate how the author also includes areas when the MC may be jealous of his brother or his friend, such as when they have pets but he doesn’t. It really shows the sibling dynamic. As someone with a visual impairment, I thought the book captures the disability well. I appreciated the inclusion of Braille and orientation skills.

I would 100% recommend to any mom out there! It’s an amazing example of accepting the best of what life has handed you, even if your best doesn’t look like everyone else’s best. I love that the story shows Bruno notices a difference between how his home works versus how his friend Sanja’s home works, but it doesn’t change how lucky he feels to have his brother/family. I was not too keen on the illustration as I felt it needed to be a little more colorful to draw in the child’s attention. The braille alphabet in the end of the book was an amazing addition to this book! I’m always looking for things to teach my son that will help him in life. I feel that the addition of the alphabet is another way this book stands out because it provides another tool to teach our children that when people are different, it’s not always their choice and to respect the fact that they have to go out of their way to learn something that he will never have to learn. Beautifully done and thank you for sharing this story with the world.

This is a sweet and tender book introducing children to disability through the eyes of Bruno whose brother Mateo is visually impaired. The exploration of sibling jealousy—Bruno referencing things like Mateo's service dog and how he can continue to read in complete darkness—feels spot on. I think it would have been nice to have the book share some of Mateo's perspectives as well, but overall this was a lovely read.

Loved the simple artwork throughout this book. I wish more about the brother were discussed sooner. It kind of didn't explain that the brother is blind. Overall, great exposure for kids to learn about different abilities and how there is a whole new alphabet they can learn (Braille).

'Lucky Me' is such a cute story! I love how Bruno shares his feelings and acknowledges that he can be frustrated or jealous of Sanjay sometimes but also feel really happy and grateful, sharing about all the cool things he has in his life because of his brother. I really liked the line "I am so lucky--I have an awesome brother and a really good friend!" It also enjoyed how the artist interpreted how Mateo sees; the pages where everything is dark to show how the room is but only the keys are white to show how Mateo can picture/remember them in his mind was so cool! And the very end of the book educating on braille and making space for the reader to learn how to write their name in braille is so awesome. I think this book would make a lot of kids who have disabled family, feel jealous but lucky, etc., feel really seen.

This book was really cute and my kids really enjoyed it when I read it to them! I love the way it shared with kids how lucky we are to have what we have. Everyone is different and others will have or do things that we don't or can't do but we will have or be able to do things that they do not or cannot. I also loved how it talked about the things that his brother was really good at or able to do because of the fact that he was blind.

Overall, a great book for kids that focuses on acknowledging and loving the things that make each of us different.