This book is about a girl and how she experiences the world through all 5 of her senses. She can get overstimulated and everything can be too much, so she learns ways to calm herself. This is a book that all kids could relate to in regards to experiencing sensory overload. I recommend this book to help show kids about different stimming and coping skills.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A really useful book, and one that is easy on the eye – and superlatively fine to read. The girl here is definitely on some kind of spectrum, and many senses she has, from the touch of the wrong clothing to the noise and bedlam of the mall or the park's stinky, overflowing rubbish bins, can all cause her anxiety. Ways out include masking (not good), stimming (those tic-like movements) – or just a pleasant, peaceful alternative when the day gets too bad. This shows all this play out, and of course end in positivity for better moments, hours and days to come. AND it's done in wonderful rhyme, making this really readable for the intended reader, and not a burden at all for any adult prescribed with the task of reading it out loud. I think (albeit as a layman) that this would have been very accurate, sensible and welcome even without the poetry, but as the verse is so well done and clearly adds to the pleasure of these pages, five full stars are allowed.

Make It All Go Away is a beautifully written and illustrated book that offers an insightful exploration of sensory overload through the perspective of a neurodivergent child. The story follows Melodie as she experiences overwhelm through each of the five senses, and it thoughtfully demonstrates how she uses different forms of stimming to regulate and find calm.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its ability to describe sensory overload in clear, accessible language that even young readers can easily understand. This makes it a valuable tool not only for children who experience these feelings themselves, but also for their peers, who gain a deeper understanding of what their friends may be going through. By fostering both self-awareness and empathy, the book succeeds as both an educational and compassionate resource.

The inclusion of practical calming strategies adds an extra layer of usefulness, providing gentle guidance that parents, carers, and educators can reinforce in everyday life. Paired with engaging, expressive illustrations, the story resonates on both an emotional and visual level, making it highly engaging for children.

I was thoroughly impressed while reading this book. Make it All Go Away depicts a child who feels unease around heading out of the house with her family, whilst at the shopping centre she experiences sensory overwhelm. The book focuses on this storyline by identifying each of the senses and as the child experiences the stores she points out something she is sensing in the space whether that’s a sight, sound, feeling, taste or smell.
It shows the child becoming upset by the amount of things they are feeling and mentions stimming as a method they use to calm themselves. It also follows the family as the day progresses after leaving the store and the ways to turn an overwhelming day around. Such as going to calmer spaces or eating comfortable foods.

I really loved how this book whilst obviously depicting a neurodiverse child and a topic that is of high importance and value for such children and their families, it doesn’t necessarily focus on mentioning any disabilities or differences and approaches the topic of sensory overwhelm in a way that is open and can relate to all children. The book also includes some great links in the back for further information around sensory overwhelm and stimming, as well as some FAQ relating to the topic to help explain the themes a bit more in depth.

Altogether a very informative read whilst being very age appropriate to read to young children, I’d personally recommend it for children 4+

I believe this book is a great way to teach children about feeling overstimulated. Helps them understand the feelings they may feel when they’re overwhelmed & what to try to help themselves. The author has even given resources on what to try to see what works for you personally. I think it was a bit wordy.. so if you’re reading this, I’d suggest an older kiddo.

Thank you NetGalley & Helen for the opportunity to read this Arc!

As someone who has experienced sensory overload, I really appreciated seeing this topic addressed in a picture book. The illustrations are beautiful, full of warmth and detail, and they capture the emotions of the story well. However, the narrative itself felt a little shallow, as though it only skimmed the surface rather than exploring the topic in depth or having any of the characters speak/interact. I did, however, really value the information included at the back of the book, which offered explanations and references that added context and could be a useful resource for parents, carers, or educators.

A great book for lower elementary kids that helps explain sensor overload and stims. This book would be a great addition to classes, libraries, and homes as a tool to help normalize sensory issues and give a voice to those who may not realize what is going on in their bodies and brains.

Thank you to NetGalley and Moon & Bird for providing an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

My son and I read this together and really enjoyed it. Super important message not only for the little ones, but parents and educators alike. The art is beautiful and really brings the message to life and engages the reader.

I wish this book existed when I was little. I'd recommend it to parents with kids, and classroom libraries.

This was a cute kids book on sensory overload. As a parent to a kid with sensory struggles, it was really nice to see this portrayed.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of “Make it all go away”. I typically leave children’s book unrated as I am not the target audience nor am I a parent (5 stars to post this)

Make it all go away follows an autistic girl experiencing the terrors of sensory overload and the comfort of stimming to counteract the discomfort. This book includes an informative section at the end for parents to learn about masking, sensory overload and the experience of being autistic and I appreciated this little detail. I believe this book should be in schools to teach autistic children about themselves and to teach compassion to neurotypical children so they can understand their peers. This book did a great job at describing how sensory overload works, and I very much related to this child and appreciated the part about how stimming isn’t dangerous to the individual or those around them, and it’s vital to relax the nervous system. Children deserve to have books like this and the art work is cute.

This is a really great picture-book about how things can feel overwhelming for our senses, especially as a neurodivergent person! It can be an easy instinct to mask true feelings and struggles to not draw attention to themselves or inconvenience anyone. That does not make these things any less hard or overwhelming.
I also like that this focuses on good things that can make us feel calm and good. Things that are nice to our senses and can comfort us!

Make it All Go Away by Helen Docherty

"Our senses make us feel alive!
But sometimes, mine can feel too much."

Loved the book !
Very informative. Help people, readers, children, adults(!) to learn and know why some of their peers may act a certain way (avoiding some noises, textures, foods, doing some things, not doing others, going some place and avoiding others).
Make it All Go Away teaches about stimming, sensory overload, different sensitivities, masking. It's a very accessible way of learning about what could bother some and how these sounds, touch, lights, smells could overwhelm people who experience sensory overload. As someone who does experience it, I felt seen and I wish I could have been given a book like this when I was a child !

"I've had as much as I can take.
I feel so tired. I need a break."

The book is so nice to read and going through its pages we can admire stunning colors and drawings. Illustrations are cute. The art style by Taylor Barron is beautiful. I loved the way the illustrator used color and how it's treated, creating beautiful pages. I appreciated the way typography is used to make points through the text, with different fonts and using bold lettering.

"Some days are easy, soft and calm;
But some days set off my alarm."

I definitely recommand Make it All Go Away for everyone to read. It's a good book to discover for people who deal with sensory overload themselves and for the ones who don't, to learn about it ! To know that it exists. It's great to introduce it to children at a young age. So they know it's a thing. Then it would create a better environment for everyone, being aware of what stims, masking and sensory overload, are. Less judgment, if none. A more inclusive and respectful society, school, place to be.

#MakeitAllGoAway #NetGalley

This book is about Melodie’s experience with sensory overload and how she copes with it. I think this is a great resource to read to children that may experience this to help with coping strategies and also for children who do not and may be able to help a friend that is going through sensory overload. Overall a cute book with good illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this! Drawings? Gorgeous. Message? Very important. The book is very unapologetic about dropping terms that we need to share and explain more: stims, sensory overload, masking... A lot of children would benefit from understanding that what they themselves or others around them feel have names and explanations, and of course their parents. Ever since I became a teacher I've realized that children are sometimes ashamed of talking about stims, and getting the topic out of sight isn't good for them, so I tried to share my own small experiences and saw a lot of my students become more comfortable with speaking out their needs. This book put a smile on me.

As someone who hates loud and excessive noise, I could sort of relate to this. I adored the bright illustrations and rhymes. A good read about sensory overload and perfect for kids.

I want to say thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me and my kids the privilege of being able to read this book together. I really appreciate it!

My kids really enjoyed this book, and I think my oldest son found a little of himself in this book, just by his body language. I think this book is best geared to the 1st-5th grade age rating based on the writing at least in Canada, it would also make a fantastic classroom resource book as well. As a picture book in itself, this was beautiful. The pictures are very well done and very engaging. They alone really showcase the way overstimulation can truly feel, well also showing kids how it might look to others from their perspective. The words are deep and poignant well still being easy for young kids to understand. It's message of showing it's okay to feel this way, how you can help yourself in the kindest ways, and covering so many basis' on times and things that could cause overstimulation were incredible! I've yet to find a book that shows this as well as this book has. I honestly can't wait until it releases so I can bring it home where I know it belongs.

Thank you so very much again for allowing us to snuggle up with this fantastic book we really appreciate it!

This is a book about our senses and how they can make you feel overstimulated. This book is brilliant to explain to people who may need help understanding how they or their children may be feeling (It made me feel validated at 30 about how I get over stimulated). The illustration was beautiful in this book. It flowed perfectly while reading. 10/10 all round for this book it will help a lot of people.

A kid goes out with their family and finds it all too much. The description of their sensory overload and how they help distract during snd calm after is really well done. There are examples of how it feels in your body to be in overload, shows stims that may help in the moment, as well as things they love that make them feel safe at home. Really great representation of neurodiversity that all kids could benefit from as well.

Personally, I read this with my 3 year old as they’ve been getting really overwhelmed while out and about lately and shutting down. They really identified with the overload and tried some of the stims from the book that made sense for them. When we were out somewhere loud next they covered their ears with a relieved smile and, after, we talked about how it helped with the tight feeling and that they knew their comfort place was waiting for them after. Thank you book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out on September 30, 2025.

Books like this one are so important for kids to see themselves in and for neurotypical kids to read and learn about. This book is about a little girl with sensory issues who goes out to the market with her mom and struggles coping there. I like that author showed examples of sensory overload and taught strategies that could help. I also liked that the author used the words "stims," "mask," and "sensory overload" and included explanations of them at the end of the book.

It is a very inspiring book. Inside you will find a poetic way to explain sensory issues and overstimulation. The illustrations are beautiful and add to the story. I really enjoyed this short read