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Buy Online

What Happened to You?

£7.99

Imagine you were asked the same question again and again throughout your life. Imagine if it was a question that didn’t bring about the happiest of memories. This is the experience of one-legged Joe, a child who just wants to have fun in the playground. Constantly seen first for his disability, Joe is fed up of only ever being asked about his leg. All he wants to do is play Pirates. But as usual, one after the other, all the children ask him the same question they always ask, ‘What happened to you?’

In Stock

ISBN: 9780571358311 Category: Children's - Non-Fiction Tags: Children's / Teenage fiction: Action & adventure stories, Children's / Teenage personal & social issues: Disability & special needs, Picture storybooks, Picture storybooks: Imagination & play
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Description

The first ever picture book addressing how a disabled child might want to be spoken to.

What happened to you?
Was it a shark? A burglar? A lion? Did it fall off?

Every time Joe goes out the questions are the same . . . what happened to his leg? But is this even a question Joe has to answer?

A ground-breaking, funny story that helps children understand what it might feel like to be seen as different.

‘A revolutionary book on disability.’ Inclusive Storytime

‘Catchpole’s beautifully judged, child-friendly words ably evoke the fatigue and wariness of repeatedly being asked the same question rather than simply being accepted and allowed to play, while George’s warm images amplify the delight of shared imagination.‘ The Guardian

‘Wonderful, delightful and important. […] Not only will it help nondisabled adults and children understand what it is like to be singled out for being different, but it will empower disabled children and help them realise they don’t have to justify themselves to people they don’t know.’ Jen Campbell, bestselling author of Franklin’s Flying Bookshop

‘With beautifully characterful illustrations and plenty of calming white space, it exudes gentle energy and humour to appeal to every child. This is a stunningly clever book.’ BookTrust

‘The beauty of What Happened to You? is its focus on empathy… a brilliant book to open up the conversation with pre-school kids.’ Disability Arts Online

‘A groundbreaking picture book reflecting the world of a visibly disabled child… a funny and very enjoyable read that will nevertheless perform an urgently needed task and generate very useful discussion at home and school.’ LoveReading4Kids

Additional information

Weight 0.205 kg
Dimensions 0.5 × 25 × 25 cm
Author

Catchpole, James

Publisher

Faber & Faber

Imprint

Faber & Faber

Cover

Paperback

Pages

32

Language

English

Edition

1st paperback ed

Dewey

823.92 (edition:23)

Readership

Children – juvenile / Code: J

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Mar 10



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Athena recommends the book 'A Killer In Paradise' by Tom Hindle to be your next mystery read! 

'I devoured this book in two days. It has intriguing characters, a beautiful setting and lots of fun twists to keep you on your toes! I really love Hindle’s use of an enclosed circle of suspects, much like Agatha Christie's mystery novels; I find that this makes for a more gripping and intimate reading experience. This is a great book to read if you’re looking to for something which keeps you guessing to the end.'

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Mar 9



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House of Books & Friends is excited to welcome Rozie Kelly to the store on 16th April at 6pm to discuss her book, Kingfisher, which has just been longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2026. As well as a discussion on her book, there will also be a Q&A, plus the chance to get your books signed by Rozie. Rozie will be in conversation with Sara Hunt, publisher at Saraband.

Tickets and info can be found at the link in our bio 🖤

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Mar 8



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March 8th marks International Women’s Day! This is a day to celebrate the achievements of women and is a call for gender equality. At House of Books and Friends we have taken the opportunity to recommend books FOR women BY women that are available both in-store and online, in order to raise awareness for women’s issues, but also just to showcase talented women writers.♀️

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Mar 6



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With International Women's Day coming up, we thought we'd draw your attention to Virago, a publishing house which has been uplifting female authors for over 50 years! We stock plenty of their editions instore, swipe to read a little about them! 💜💜

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Mar 5



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House of Books & Friends is thrilled to welcome Sheena Kalayil on Thursday 30th April at 6pm to discuss her book, ‘The Others’, recently longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Tickets and info available at the link in our bio 

About the book

Secrets, lies and love as the DDR collapses. 

It is 1989, and in a small Baltic city in East Germany, the Deutsche Demokratische Republik, three young people from vastly different backgrounds become friends. Armando is a factory worker from Mozambique, Lolita is a medical student from India, and Theo is an East Berliner who dreams of being a writer.

When Armando and Lolita make a grisly discovery, they find themselves caught up in the politics of Theo’s homeland more than ever before. While a quiet revolution sweeps through Eastern Europe, and the Berlin Wall teeters, the three find themselves entangled in a poignant love triangle which threatens their futures.

As the world order shifts, their three lives are bound together in a web of love, lies and fears, leaving each irrevocably changed.

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Mar 4



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Congratulations to all the publishers and authors who have made it on to the Women's Prize for Fiction! A special shoutout to three titles on the list:

Marcia Hutchinson, who hosted the launch of The Mercy Step here at HOBAF 💚
Rozie Kelly, who's title Kingfisher was one of our booksellers favourite books from 2025 🐦
Sheena Kalayil, published through Fly on the Wall Press, who may be visiting us very soon...👀


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