Top Five Children’s Books on Autism Reviewed

How to choose the best five children’s books on autism? As a parent, grandparent, and retired teacher the features I look for in a children’s book are that they be fun to read, fun to listen to, and that they teach a lesson or life skill. With our busy lives, the quality time a child spends with the adults who care for them is very limited; therefore, I feel when you share a book with a child it is a golden opportunity to sneak in teaching moments. Children appreciate beautiful illustrations, a story or character they can relate to, and they cherish this special, shared reading time with an adult who cares.

What a pleasure it has been to read and review the many books authors and publishers have sent us the past year. We want to thank you for your books and also thank the many authors who took part in our very popular Author Interview Series.

Top Five Children’s Books on Autism Reviewed by Special Needs Book Review

Pedro’s Whale by Paula Kluth, Ph.D. and Patrick Schwarz, Ph.D., is a picture book about autism many were waiting for. After their award winning guidebook, Just Give Him the Whale: 20 Ways to Use Fascinations, Areas of Expertise, and Strengths to Support Students with Autism, the authors realized a children’s book about areas of interests was needed. Check review:

My Friend with Autism: Enhanced Edition with FREE CD of Coloring Pages by Beverly Bishop with illustrations by Craig Bishop. Beverly Bishop wrote My Friend with Autism for her son’s elementary teachers and peers. She explains, “I was determined to help my son with autism fit in with his peers by fostering understanding and tolerance among her son’s friends and schoolmates.” No better place to start this process to embrace and cherish differences than with young children and I recommend this book to make this happen.   >> Check review

Are you a good Social Thinker? You might be after reading the children’s book You are a Social Detective: Explaining Social Thinking to Kids written by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke with illustrations by Kelly Knopp.  This book will be enjoyed by all the young Social Detectives who might have School Smarts, Science Smarts, or Music Smarts and need just a little help with their Social Smarts to make a big difference in their daily interactions.  Check review

Are you looking for a way to explain autism to children? Are you a parent, a teacher, a daycare worker looking for a resource to foster acceptance of the differences in others? You wish the children in your care knew about autism spectrum disorder and could understand the reasons behind the behaviour of an autistic child. Therefore this wonderful children’s picture book, My Little Brother is a Little Different: An Autism Story, by Tammy Parker Cox should be on your shelves. Check review

The Autism Acceptance Book: Being A Friend To Someone with Autism by Ellen Sabin –  I am impressed with Ellen Sabin’s character-building, activity book for children 6 years and up. Congratulations to the capable team who carefully put together this interactive, educational resource.  Ellen Sabin says, “The best way to teach children tolerance and acceptance is by encouraging them to take the time, and make the effort, to understand and respect others.” Her goal that The Autism Acceptance Book will engage and inspire children to do this should have been realized.  Check review:

Congratulations to the folks behind these best five children’s books on autism reviewed by Special Needs Book Review! Check soon to read about our Top Five Children’s Book on Sensory Processing Disorder.

Lorna d'Entremont

I am a retired teacher with 30 years experience in French elementary classroom and more years as a mother and grandmother of Tourette syndrome and sensory sensitive offsprings. Upon retirement, I embarked on an interesting project with my daughter who undertook the challenge of creating a safe, wearable or attachable, effective chewable fidget for special needs individuals.