BOOK REVIEW: Discovering Danny

TITLE: Discovering Danny
AUTHOR: Michael Bassous
PUBLISHED BY: Pegasus Publishing

This informative story book explains how all people are different, that’s what makes them unique.It describes how we all learn in different ways, how we like different things and how we play differently.

The story follows Dima and Jad when they meet a new classmate, Danny, who is a bit more unique than their other friends or children in their family. The book briefly and simply explains how Dima and Jad slowly discover Danny and what autism means. They learn how to be friends with Danny and how to embrace all other uniqueness in their world.

This book is ideal for young readers and explains autism in a simple, easy-to-understand way. It is an ideal information book for parents to read to children to help them understand why some of their friends may be acting differently to others and to explain the reasons why. The story is in a setting well-known to children, the classroom, and uses a teacher to explain what autism is. This is the perfect learning vehicle as young children identify with a teacher as an educator and are accustomed to learning from her/him in an educational setting at school. Young children also look up to teachers as being a go-to person to ask about anything they are unsure of and admire them for their knowledge on different subjects.

The book’s compact size makes it manageable for a child with small hands to hold. Plus, it has easy to slide pages which make it easier for small hands eagerly wanting to turn over to the next part of the story to handle. The wipe-clean front and back covers are a bonus for parents reading the story to children with sticky fingers.

Delightful colourful illustrations accompany the story and bring it to life.

The book emphasises how people enjoy life in their own unique way and portrays how some might like sport, whilst others are inspired by music and that all are acceptable; we are all different is some way to others. 

The story concludes with pointing out that if youngsters meet someone who is different from themselves, rather than focusing on what is different, they should be patient, stay calm and listen to find out what they have in common with that person, thus this can help to form a friendship with them.

The lasting message from the book is to be kind and always include others.

Illustrated by Lynn Abi Aad

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard