We all have brains, and all our brains are different. Some brains may feel more different than others. We’ve learned over and over again that difference is necessary, and it comes with its own strengths and challenges. The challenges primarily arise from a world that’s not designed to accommodate differences. Despite that, within the differences, there’s joy, hope, love, community, and resistance.
Here’s a list of books that explore and celebrate these differences, showing children are on the neurodivergence spectrum, as well as families, educators, and communities that make space for those children to be their whole selves.
The Curiosities by Zara Fraillon and Phil Lesnie
The Curiosities is inspired by the author’s daughter, who lives with Tourette’s. We follow Miro, who is taken by the curiosities, and we witness the various spaces where they take him. Readers watch how people respond to it and how it makes Miro feel. He finds community and safety in the tenderest ways. The illustrations are dream-like.
I Talk Like A River by Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith
This book is so special for the way it talks about stuttering, which is increasingly accepted as part of the neurodivergence spectrum. Poet Jordan Scott has written this based on his own experience. We watch a young boy who stutters feel isolated and unable to talk the way he’d like. We also watch his dad take him out to the river on his “bad speech day” and show him how he talks like the river. We watch him find his voice in the rhythm of the river.
I Talk Like a River made me tear up the first time I read it. The imagery is gorgeous, both in the prose and in the illustrations.
Benji, The Bad Day, And Me by Sally J. Pla and Ken Min
Sammy had a bad day at school. Nothing seems to be going his way. He comes home to see his little brother Benji in his special box — a place where he goes for comfort—which means Benji has had a bad day, too. Sammy watches as everyone tries to make Benji feel okay, while nobody is doing that for him. However, there is one person who knows how to make his bigger brother feel better, and that person is watching and waiting for the right moment to help. This is a story of kindness between two siblings, one neurotypical and one neurodivergent.
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My Brain is Magic: A Sensory Seeking Celebration by Prasha Sooful and Geeta Ladi
We watch a child be curious about and fascinated by sensations. She wants to buzz like a bee; squish, squeeze, and smear things; do things slowly; make a mess; and so much more. Her brain is magic, and it wants to do everything it seeks. The book ends with a small note for parents and educators about the kinds of sensations and activities children can engage in based on what they’re feeling.
Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & Tiffany Rose
Abdul’s head is full of stories, but he can’t always find them on paper. The ones he reads are good, but they do not look like the world he has known. He’s convinced that some people are writers, though he is not one of them. We watch as his teacher, Mr. Muhammad, helps him explore a freer, messier way of putting his thoughts down. Abdul lets himself make mistakes, get his spellings wrong, and still successfully convey his story. This book features the reality of how one supportive adult can unlock a child’s big, bright internal universe.
If you enjoyed this, also check out 10 Fabulous Picture Books Celebrating Neurodivergent Kids.
English (US) · 