The Spanish version of Jeremy’s Big Role; review is of the English edition.
A boy named Jeremy (who happens to have two moms) volunteers to be the Big Bad Wolf in the school play even though his stutter sometimes “makes it challenging to talk.” He practices his line, and his teacher waits patiently, helping Jeremy be less nervous. The teacher reminds him, too, that wolves are part of a pack, and can howl for help.
Jeremy practices with his moms and his friends, all of whom model the appropriate attentive listening that Jeremy needs. He still stumbles on the word “puff”—but during the performance, he howls for help, and his moms and friends join in with a group howl. He “feels strong” and tries again, and with a “p-p-p-uff” blows the house down.
Backmatter includes a note from pediatric speech and language pathologist Haley Broocks, who offers further tips for supporting and communicating effectively with a child who stutters.
The people around Jeremy effortlessly model what Broocks advises: “Stuttering is okay, and they don’t need your help or an interruption…. All they need is for you to listen.” Jeremy himself shows confidence in volunteering for the role, and while he wonders a little about what will happen if he makes a mistake, is more focused on practicing than worrying. The fact that he has two moms is incidental to the story—any child who stutters or has a friend or peer who does may benefit from this book.
