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First Impression: A wonderful attempt at explaining autism to a young audience through the eyes of a child.

Bold and Brave book cover

I am blessed to have been granted a free Advanced Reader Copy of this work published today. In exchange for the generous gift what follows is my honest critique.

It seems to be the norm these days to produce picture books that have the dual purpose of entertaining as well as teaching a lesson. Bold & Brave by K. A. Cummins does not disappoint with their attempts at producing this beautifully illustrated book aimed at 4–8-year-olds. In its own way, through a short story, the book explains one scenario that could be generalized as something that happens to individuals on the neurodivergent spectrum.

Lily is a young autistic girl who has been selected to do perform a solo as part of the school production. The trouble is, sometimes Lily can suffer sensory overloads, which causes her to go into deep think mode, suffer anxiety, and generally turn her inwards. Fortunately, Lily’s parents know her triggers and prepare for them accordingly. However, for a short while, Lily is still struggling with the situation.

As well as introducing autism to youngsters by providing a stereotypical scenario, the book seeks to provide further educational opportunities. It poses questions at the back of the story that encourages children to reflect on the story and their own feelings. Whilst the book is aimed at a young audience, it might have explained the condition a bit better and punctuated that it is ok to be different. Overall, I would recommend this as a 4 out of 5 stars book. The beautiful, full-page illustrations are captivating, the use of grey is strong, and the repetitive thought stream is interesting. This book would make for a great bedtime story.

Quick Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / G Rated

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