This week we’ve had the pleasure of reading a brilliant children’s book called My Awesome Autism by Nikki Saunders. Initially written to help her own child understand his autism diagnosis, Nikki Saunders has created a wonderful resource to help all children learn about autism.

My Awesome Autism features a fun loving, cartoon character called Eddie who teaches the reader all about autism in a child friendly and accessible way. Packed full of fun and friendly illustrations in bright colours this book really appeals to children too!

What did we like about it?

• Positive- What I loved the most about this book is it’s positivity. It just doesn’t aim to teach children about autism but to help make autistic children realise their strengths. It’s also full of positive affirmations telling children they are amazing and loved- wonderful to see! This is also brilliant for children who aren’t autistic; helping them see their autistic peers in a positive light.

• Perfectly Pitched– Nikki Saunders has cleverly made sure the books text is pitched at the right level for young children to either read themselves or be read to, capturing their interest throughout. It has short sentences (that allow time for children to process the information), simple vocabulary, bright colours and cartoon-like characters which also make it appeal to its audience of young children.

• Resource to start a conversation with a child about their autism diagnosis- This book would be a wonderful way of supporting the conversation parents may have with their autistic child to explain to them their diagnosis. What a great way of gently broaching the topic and supporting the child (with visuals and examples) to understand what they are talking about.

• Relatable– When we read it to the children what we found really helped them to understand about autism were all the relatable examples that are included in the book. The examples helped make the children understand that everyone is different and autism is just one of these differences.

• Develops Autism Awareness and Acceptance from a Young Age-  It’s incredibly important that children learn about autism from a young age in order to develop their understanding and acceptance of autistic individuals. This book helps achieve this. And what struck me was, wouldn’t it be wonderful if every child had a copy of this book, understood autism, accepted everyone’s differences and as they grew up created a much more inclusive and empathetic society! Here’s hoping!

Find My Awesome Autism on Amazon here and their website here

* Please note we received a sample book for review and this post is sponsored. All thoughts and opinions are our own.