When I was a new aunt, I took my niece to a nearby park. As we scurried everywhere, I was struck at how she was terrified of the sand. She would happily zoom down the slide, then come up short at the end, begging for me to carry her to the next play area so she wouldn't have to set foot on the ground. I was amused and unsympathetic. Couldn't she focus on the fun equipment and ignore the sand? I saw her distress and tried to accommodate her, but I wasn't very sympathetic to what it must have felt like to her.

It's Just a ... What? is a picture book for creating awareness about sensory issues like Sensory Processing Disorder.

Through various examples, readers without experience with SPD or related conditions can be educated on how what may seem to be a simple, inconsequential issue can be experienced very differently to others. For instance, the tag of a shirt rubbing against skin may not faze some, but to others, it can feel like a cactus-covered porcupine on their back.

First we see a child struggling with sand, goggles, socks, haircuts, or the like. Then an adult tries to diffuse the situation ("It's just a..."). However, the child calmly articulates what it feels like to them, and the grown-up makes changes to solve the problem (puts on sandals, loosens goggles, and so on).

I see this book fostering conversations ("Is that what it's like for you?") and modeling ways to communicate that lead to positive outcomes.

This is an excellent children's book with lots of colorful illustrated paintings of distinct children with sensory processing disorders next to those on the spectrum with great imaginations from young minds who never fail to express their discomfort regarding their sensory issues. This colorful children's picture book also looks real life scenarios of sensory issues that can bring discomfort for children who live on the spectrum as well as have sensory issues,

It's Just a ... What? is an incredibly helpful picture book that addresses Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) from a child’s vantage point. Children are shown through various scenarios how to ask for and get help, while adults learn to manage situations with kindness, good humor and simple responses. 5/5

Thanks to Future Horizons and NetGalley for the review copy, in exchange for my honest opinions.

#It'sJustA...What? #NetGalley

There's a good sense of humour that accompanies the serious message that runs through this collection of scenarios that children with Sensory Processing Disorders might experience, helping to show how a 'minor' frustration could be felt much more strongly with an SPD. I imagine that this will be just as useful for adults as children in many ways.

What a great book! Just what is needed to explain to adults what it might be like for children with sensory issues! I have them as an adult and am super picky about what I wear. I remember the fights my mother and I used to have about my clothes! She hated my wardrobe choices once I got older, but I well remember the dread I had as a small child with her choices of my clothes.... Please grownups, listen to the kids!! They need to stop being tortured! I liked the illustrations, they illustrate perfectly what many of us feel! Thank you Hartley Steiner! Kids are going to love this book.

Beautiful written and illustrated book, perfect for children with Autism or sensory difficultities to try and help communicate their unusual needs. Also a great reminder for adults. Hartley Steiner has made a serious topic into a fun and exciting thing to talk about. Highly recommended!

Thought provoking book about Sensory Processing Disorders. Cute illustrations that help others understand kids who have SPDs.

If you or someone in your care has sensory processing issues, you will get a kick out of this book. You know what it means when that tag just won't quit bothering you. . . . Or that thread in your sock. . . . The tag feels like a prickly porcupine. . . . The thread feels like a dinosaur eating your foot! When your child complains about something that seems so minor, your first inclination might be to ignore it or ignore them, but you quickly realize that their struggle is all too real.

Hartley Steiner knows how it is. She has written about sensory issues and autism, and now writes It's Just a . . . What?Little Sensory Problems with Big Reactions. With cute illustrations by Anait Semirdzhyan, she presents a problem a child is having--sand's too hot, goggles are too tight, tag is itchy--and the child's response to the adult's "It's just a . . ." remark. At first, it seems like the adult is downplaying the offending bit. But in each case, the adult assists with a practical solution: put on flip flops, adjust the goggles, cut off the tag.

Children who read this will receive a validation of their struggle. They are not the only ones who experience extreme discomfort from tiny things that don't bother most people! It's a good reminder to adults, too, not to ignore the pleadings of a child who complains about something seemingly so trivial. I was surprised that she left out audio and visual stimulation. Many kids experience discomfort with loud noises or bright lights; those would have fit in well in this book. Nevertheless, It's Just a . . . What? is a great teaching tool for kids with sensory issues, as well as for the adults who support them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

This book looks at the difference in how something feels to an adult or another person, and how it feels to a person with sensory issues. Like a shirt tag may be itchy to this reader, but to the little boy wearing it, it may feel like porcupine is stuffed in his shirt. It’s an interesting way of looking at things, and a great tool for helping kids with sensor issues.

Explaining how much something itches, hurts or bothers them can be challenging for a little one and frustrating when their message fails to be conveyed, sometimes ending in a meltdown.

This book puts things into perspective, teaching children how to calmly express their needs and adults how to grasp the urgency of a child's problem. The quirky illustrations are engaging for the child while instructing them in how to ask for help. #It'sJustA...What? #NetGalley

One of my new favorite books for children at school. A book that fully explains children's interpretations and feelings of sensory related concerns is hard to come by. I especially enjoyed the illustrations and relateable scenarios. I plan on purchasing this book immediately and sharing it with our occupational therapist.

This book was good for helping to give ideas of how to help children that have sensory issues. This book not only gave ideas for how to help them through it with some solutions but also how to talk to them rationally and calmly. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Teaches compassion and tolerance for the sensory frustrations many children experience. It's also funny and charming. I would buy this for any child I care about.

This picture book gives examples of kids with sensory issues. Some kids don't like socks, or hot sand or tags in their clothing and in each small story there is an easy suggestion on how to fix the issue. Might help kids understand better about what other kids with sensory issues are going through.