Customer Reviews

Russ and the Apple Tree Surprise (Day with Russ)

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Russ is a charming little boy who happens to have Down Syndrome. This tale, told in photos and text, tells about his day with Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa. The story works beautifully and Down Syndrome is never mentioned. Russ is just a little boy who happens to have Down Syndrome! Jane Rickert has written a simple, darling book about her own son and has let us know that he is just an ordinary boy who likes apple trees and surprises. Ms. Rickert read her story to children at an Inclusive Childcare Canter near her home. The children loved it and they still make it one of their favorites. It is read over and over again - the sure sign of a hit with the kids. This book points out the sameness between children, not the differences and that is incredibly important. I highly recommend this book for any child regardless of ability/disability.

I love the Day with Russ series. This is the first one of the series and it has a sweet, simple story. Russ is a little boy with Down Syndrome who wishes he had a swing in his back yard instead of an apple tree. When his grandparents come to visit they and his parents share a special time with Russ picking apples and making a pie and help him to appreciate the nice things about his apple tree. This is a lovely book with colorful photographs. Russ obviously has DS but it is never mentioned in the story. I can't begin to say how much that means to me as the mother of a DS child. These stories truly show the way children with DS are LIKE other children rather than dwelling on how they are different. What a great message! I highly recommend it for all children, especially those with DS or who may have a child with DS in their class at school. The books are hard cover with glossy photos and are very well constructed in addition to being terrific stories. I plan to donate all three Russ books to my son's classroom, they are exceptional books.

This book is superb. I happened to see it on the library shelf and I checked it out for my two year old daughter. She does not have Down Syndrome. She absolutely loves it, as do we. It is interesting, well-written, educational, and fun. It teaches some great lessons-- things are often not as bad as they seem; when you feel as though you have lemons, make lemonade; there are lots of ways to have fun; you don't need fancy toys to have a great time; nature is full of surprises. The length of the book and the pace of the book are just perfect for her. The photographs are terrific and give us a lot to talk about. I would recommend this book to all young children. It is simply charming! A great find!

I had the incredible opportunity to have Russ in my class when I was a student teacher back in 1999. Russ is a tremendous kid! This book shows just how special Russ really is. I think of him often and share this book with my class each year!