Bitsy Bat, Team Star - (The Bitsy Bat) by Kaz Windness (Hardcover)

About the Book

When Enzo, a nonspeaking Owl, joins Bitsy Bat's class and might be a better flier than her, Bitsy learns the importance of being a teammate and friend.

Book Synopsis

Bitsy meets a new nonspeaking student who uses an AAC device and sign language at school and learns the importance of being a star teammate in this sequel to Bitsy Bat, School Star from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness.

Bitsy Bat is a star student and the only fantastic flier at Crittercrawl Elementary...until a new nonspeaking student named Enzo Owl arrives and outflies her during recess. Bitsy worries her friends won't think she's special anymore, so she's determined to beat Enzo in the upcoming Critter Games and prove she's the better flier.

But when her friend Mo needs help during the race, Bitsy must choose between winning and being a star teammate. And while she's at it, she just might discover that making a new friend is more special than any trophy.

This sequel to Bitsy Bat, School Star is told from an autistic perspective and celebrates how our differences make each of us shine brightly on our own and as part of a team.

Review Quotes

"The familiar [school race] story is given particular freshness here by the wide range of abilities represented, from Bitsy's neurodivergence to a raccoon pal using a wheelchair to Enzo's communicating through a tablet and sign language. A breezy, straightforward storyline, simple sentence structure, and relatively accessible vocabulary make this an easy pick for early readers, and Enzo's form of communication, represented in-text as pictures instead of words, adds an additional layer of literacy kids can interpret."--BCCB

About the Author

Kaz Windness is the author-illustrator of picture books Swim, Jim!; Bitsy Bat, School Star; Bitsy Bat, Team Star; and Bitsy Bat, Snow Star. She created the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Level 1 Ready-to-Read Graphics book Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends, and its sequel, Worm and Butterfly Are Friends, Always; the Star Chapter Book Time Traveling Chickens series; and the Level 1 Ready-to-Reads Cat vs. Vac; Go! Go! Dino!; Squid in Pants; and Speeder Spider. Kaz is also the illustrator of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea by Andrew Hacket and the author of When You Love a Book, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee. Kaz lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two children, and Boston terrier. Visit her at WindnessBooks.com.