Book Review #2: Since We're Friends

Shally, Celeste and Harrington, David. “Since We’re Friends: An Autism Picture Book.” Hong Kong: Awaken Specialty Press. 2007

In this book, there are two boys who are friends. The narrator’s best friend is named Matt. He has autism. Throughout the book, the reader is taken through activities the friends partake in and how Matt sometimes has difficulty understanding and how the friend helps him get through the problem “Since We’re Friends.” The first thing that caught my eye with this book was the use of color depicted on each page. For a child, pictures help him/ her visualize what is being said in the text. The authors did a good job connecting the text and pictures together to help readers see what is going on in the story. Another great aspect of the book is there is a foreword written by Alison Singer, Executive Vice President of Autism Speaks. It is informative and helps introduce Autism and what Singer hopes the readers will get out of the book.

Overall, I did like the book. A major stereotype of Autism is that it is the “blonde hair blue eyed boy” syndrome since there have been many cases with blond hair, blue eyed boys having been diagnosed with Autism. This is the first time I have seen a black boy having autism in a children’s book which I feel is helping break stereotypes. The book portrays Matt’s need for routine and how breaking the routine may cause confusion and an episode. The major theme of the book is that one person can make a difference. While I like that the friend (narrator) can help Matt through his episodes, the authors make this boy a savior which is not always the case. While it is important to show friends understanding and respecting their friends’ differences, the friend was always able to solve the problem. Realistically, that is not always the case. It may have been more realistic to have parents in the book to assist when Matt’s episode were not so easily solvable.

As I mentioned earlier, I did like the book. I don’t think I would use this book in my classroom mainly because I myself didn’t really like the message the book created; you can solve all of your friend’s problems. I believe the book doesn’t depict Autism as well as it could. I like the theme, but not how it laid out.