Clinical Psychologist Philippa McDowall reviews a collection of stories for neurodivergent children.
Square Me, Round World was the best book I read to neurodivergent children last year. Children who communicate differently, and who experience the sensory and social world differently to peers, will likely see themselves in these pages. This can be a rare experience in our community. This book is neurodiversity affirming, humorous and joyful.
Author Chelsea Luker is a neurodivergent (AuDHD) psychologist and parent, and knows her audience very well; the book is dedicated to ‘all the sparkly stars who feel like they have to squash themselves to fit in’. Luker gently introduces very complicated topics with sensitivity and humour, through seven independent stories. These topics are common experiences navigated every day by neurodivergent ‘square’ pegs: feeling different, navigating friendships, masking, making mistakes and perfectionism, burn out, sensory differences, and difficulties falling asleep. These topics are seldom addressed in mainstream publications, which makes Square Me, Round World a valuable resource for the neurodivergent community.
Autistic Illustrator Eliza Fricker (widely known for her Missing the Mark illustrations and blog) uses paired back drawings that add humour and extend and further explain the messages in each story. I have read the first chapter to five neurodivergent children who each laughed out loud at the dragon illustration on page three.
This book is neurodiversity affirming, humorous and joyful.
The genius of this book lies in how simply and clearly the neurodivergent experience is described. Different ways of moving in the world are normalised, including stimming and fidgeting. Emotions and experiences are related through body movements and sensations, such as having ‘hands dancing’, ‘sparkles in his toes’ or ‘crinkles in his eyes’. At times, I wondered if there might be too many words—too much explanation and detail. However, this attention to detail was very well received by my seven year old master of particularities who appreciated the clarification. I appreciated Luker’s gentle treatment of tricky subjects such as loneliness and not understanding the social world, which felt true to experience but also hopeful; and importantly all characters were left whole by the end of each chapter. The messaging is that neurodivergent people need to be understood and supported by friends, families, and by the sensory environment. There is also the realistic message that sometimes, even with this support and understanding, the ‘round world’ will still be hard to navigate.
I think this story is best read with, or read by, young people who can attend to short stories or early chapter books, and who enjoy fictional characters including anthropomorphised animals.
This population might:
- See themselves in the strengths and challenges faced by the protagonists.
- Enjoy the normalisation of neurodivergent ways of building friendships, such as connecting over shared interests.
- Appreciate how tools for navigating neurodiversity are shown as they are used by their characters. I think this will be received as information and ‘options’, rather than direct telling or teaching, and will thus be better received.
My favourite moment occurred when reading about a character who lost words and the ability to make decisions or do basic tasks. My seven year old sparkle, a man of few words, quietly commented ‘that can happen to me’. The final chapter includes suggested questions to spark conversations to encourage reflection and deepen understanding for each chapter. For a few sparkles who enjoy discussion, these may be well received and lead to fun and engaging conversations. However, I suspect that many sparkles might find an adult lead ‘study session’ will detract from the pleasure of the book. I think it is better to trust that Square Me, Round World will plant seeds for conversations that may happen spontaneously.
This book was not written with the neurotypical experience in mind. I would anticipate neurotypical children could find this book less relatable and puzzling. Please read this book to them anyway. They might see their siblings, classmates, or friends in these stories, and I hope, might grow a deeper understanding and appreciation of the neurodivergent experience.
Philippa McDowall
Philippa is a clinical psychologist who works with neurodivergent children and families. Her special interests include her children, her chickens, and picture books featuring neurodivergent characters.