My Brother Otto and the Birthday Party - by Meg Raby (Hardcover)

About the Book

Piper and her little brother Otto, who is on the autism spectrum, are excited to attend a birthday party for their friend Ruthie. In kid-friendly language, Piper explains the accommodations Otto and Ruthie, who is also autistic, need in order to feel safe and secure in a stimulating new environment, such as wearing headphones to keep distracting noises muffled. The book provides explanations for Otto's differences in easy-to-understand language and highlights that Otto desires fun, comfort, and love--just like his peers.

Book Synopsis

This engaging picture book shows how two little crow siblings--one of them on the autism spectrum--deal with the different sensory experiences they encounter at a friend's birthday party.

Piper and her little brother Otto, who is on the autism spectrum, are excited to attend a birthday party for their friend Ruthie. In kid-friendly language, Piper explains the accommodations Otto and Ruthie, who is also autistic, need in order to feel safe and secure in a stimulating new environment, such as wearing headphones to keep distracting noises muffled. The book provides explanations for Otto's differences in easy-to-understand language and highlights that Otto desires fun, comfort, and love--just like his peers.

Review Quotes

"A great beginning book about neurodiversity. I appreciate the author using the perspective of Otto's sister, acting as narrator and therefore being a warm descriptor for her brother and how he does things differently. This is especially apt because so often, siblings of neurodivergent children do exactly that: Protect their brother or sister while also having the privilege of knowing them the best, and introducing them to others in ways they know make them feel comfortable. Raby frames Otto's behavior perfectly as 'what Otto is good at' as opposed to presenting certain behaviors as a 'preference' or what he 'likes, ' as other books on this topic do. Additionally, there is plenty here for neurotypical children to note as ways they can help a friend like Otto."--Kathryn Kovach, Bookseller "Completely Booked" (7/26/2022 12:00:00 AM)

"Wonderful situational representation of neurodiversity."-- "Kirkus Reviews" (5/25/2022 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Meg Raby lives in Salt Lake City where you can find her playing and working with neurodivergent children as a Speech Language Pathologist and friend, or writing and planning big things in the second booth at her local coffee shop that overlooks the Wasatch Mountains while sipping on her Americano. Meg believes the essence of life is to understand, love, and welcome others and brings this energy into the story of Otto Crow and on her Instagram handle @author.meg.raby.

Elisa Pallmer studied design at Escuela de Diseño del INBA and English Literature at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Her focus is on illustrations for children, and she lives in Mexico City.