In My World

*thank you to NetGalley and Future Horizo­ns for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.
This was adorable!! Based on real people, this little book offers insight into what its like for a child with autism and how to understand it better from a childs point of view. As each child with autism is different, this isnt made to teach people that this is the only way they are, but as an example of just one child. Though to see an autistic child through a childs eyes, they might all appear to be similar so the author (who has used her own autistic son as an example), has picked out the most common trades, and shown it in an easy to understand way. I love the song, it made me smile. It was really creative. The cover is also really good. I would definitely recommend this, expecually if you have a child who has an autistic child in his or her classroom.

My son has autism so it was great to see a story with a main character that has it. Great illustrations, with a story-line that sparks imagination and easy to understand.

5★
Excellent! We follow a little boy through 'his' world, seeing all the things he says he can do in his world, all the activities he enjoys, the friends he has.

He has an absolute ball! He is full of joy and wonder at the birds, the day, the night, clowns in the park, and show-and-tell at school. Everything says 'in my world' and the illustrations are lively and colourful.

[My Goodreads review has an illustration with the caption: Little boy atop a mountain and flying.]

Then there is a dull, dark page with very little colour, and he is standing still and alone, staring into a corner with his teddy under his arm.

"In your world . . . I have autism."

That is unspeakably sad.

BUT, on the following page he says with our help, he may achieve his dreams!

Who could resist that invitation?

Wonderful idea, well illustrated. He imagines friends and interaction at school - he just doesn't know how to get there.

Thanks to NetGalley and Future Horizons for the preview copy from which I've quoted and for publishing other books about children with autism. And thanks to author Jillian for her work in special education and to illustrator Mimi Chao for the appealing illustrations.

I thought that this book was fantastic - it actually brought a tear to my eye at the end and even as an adult made me think. I have a few friends with autistic children and I know how hard it is for them, this book was lovely.

Jillian Ma's book In My World, beautifully illustrated by Mimi Chao, invites the reader to see the world through the eyes of an autistic child. For most of the book, the child narrator talks about his world, in which he can have adventures, dance, fly, and sing, and where he "can be seen and heard." Of course most children have vivid imaginations and love to do all of these things. But then . . ., "In your world, I have Autism." The stark bleakness of this page only lasts a moment, as the next page contains a plea: "But with the help of you and you and you, I can fulfill my dreams and make them come true. Help me dream."

This is a fun yet poignant look into the active mind of an autistic child. It's perfect for group reading, especially in a mixed-needs classroom. I love the whimsical illustrations and the cute expressions on the kids' faces. Let this book encourage you to see and hear others, especially kids, whose minds may work differently from yours.




Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Wow, just wow.

I downloaded the book and forgot the description of the book. So, when it revealed that the main character is a child with autism, I seriously shocked. Not that is a bad thing, but more in a heartwarming way.

This book help us to understand that a child with autism share the same dream, same world, same imagination with other children. The illustration is nice, and the quote is very memorable plus touching.

"In my world, I can be calm and meditate.
In my world, I can love and appreciate.
In your world,
I have autism." *sob*

This book will pull at your heartstrings. An adorable little boy with autism reveals his magical world to the reader as he goes on exciting adventures with his friends, has infinite dreams, dances ecstatically in rain puddles, soars on an airplane, and sings with his feathered friends, just to name a few. He is seen, heard and loved in his world as he partakes in the deliciousness of his life. He interacts with the people around him who accept him and make him feel that he can conquer whatever life brings his way. All his dreams come true there. The illustrations ooze happiness, engagement and bright colours.

Then in contrast there is a dark, empty page where the little boy is standing all alone... his only friend being his teddy bear. This is the hard and very sad truth of his life... this is his reality.

"In your world... I have autism."

This book carries a very touching message. Each page contains one simple sentence nestled in a beautiful illustration which makes it easy for early readers to digest. The words are simple but pack a powerful message. It's a rhyming book which is perfect. In sharing it can become a catalyst for lots of discussion afterwards.

Your heart will drop when the happy, colourful boy in his world is reduced to a sad grey outline of himself in his real life. In the end the boy encourages you to come along side of him and help him achieve his dreams as he has hopes and desires too just like all the other children.

This is an exceptional book. I highly, highly recommend it.

This is a book that looks in to the mind of an autistic child, and their struggle with other people understanding how they think and view the world. The illustrations are beautiful - and I like how the main character is actually a human child which is much more relatable to all children, whether they're autistic or not. The book shows that we might see autism as something negative, but the child has a world of their own imagination in which to live happily - I can see other children realising that they too have this imaginary world and that they're not so different after all. As with many children's books about autism that I've seen lately, it is all about fostering understanding; helping the non-autistic child learn that they are not so different, and that any differences are what actually make us all individuals. A lovely book that I'm sure will be popular.

In My World is an absolutely gorgeous book. With a beautiful rhyming story that takes you on a journey inside the hopes and dreams of a young child. As you read through the book, you see a child and his friend having fun until the end, when you find out that this young boy has autism and is longing to be accepted by everyone. I have a friend with a son who has autism and I watched the frustration of both him and his parents when he was snubbed, teased or bullied. He just wanted to have friends and be accepted. The illustrations by Mimi Chao were beautiful and shared this child's dreams in a way that words alone couldn't have. There was a softness and calming quality to the illustrations and I loved the yellow stars throughout the book. This is a wonderful book for teachers to read to their classes teaching about acceptance of those with differences. A great addition to a school and class library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via netgalley.

I heard so many good things about this book that I had check it out. In a second it was over and my heart was smiling. This cute picture book lets us take a peak inside the marvelous and pure world of a little boy as he tell us everything he does "in his world". Like any other kid, he envisions a world where he can play with his friends, express himself, eat his favorite snacks, dream or just simply say "good night". The thing is, he has autism. When I got to that part, I understood what makes this book special; it is as simple as any other picture book, with a rhyming sentence in every page, but it has a strong message to deliver: "autistic kids have all those dreams, desires and feelings proper of any kid their age, but they need some help from us to achieve them". This is perfectly expressed in very few pages and its simplicity helps to create stronger impact.

Mimi Chao's illustrations work really well, they are happy and comforting. People or creatures and bright yellow flowers accompany the kid in his journeys, except from the one where it depicts how others see his world. That one is shown on a gray background and there is nothing around the kid. As we move to the next page, the rest of the message is delivered and the grayness fades back to a warm yellow and there are creatures and people once again, holding those bright yellow flowers that (I believe) symbolize the help others give, so that he can reach his dreams.

This picture book is a great gift for families, relatives, friends and in general, anyone who has a little warrior with autism in their lives. It is short like most picture books and visually appealing for little kids, but the message manages to reach adults the best. I got my eArc via NetGalley

Quite simply, there needs to be more books like In My World; it's exquisite. I haven't come across a picture book with a main character who has autism before, and I simply adore how this one shows that they're just like any other child with wants and needs and that they're more than just an autistic child.

Working in a school where there are children on the spectrum, this book is one that I will wholeheartedly be recommending as I think it's important for both autistic children and those around them to understand the condition a little better. Add to that the beautiful illustrations and you're really onto a winner that can both be enjoyed and provide a purpose.

In My World by Jillian Ma is a simple, heartfelt story that follows the life of a child with autism through his imaginative journey as he seeks to be accepted, loved and celebrated for his strengths and abilities. Despite the qualities that make children on the autism spectrum exceptional, they all have hopes, dreams and feelings of belonging that all children desire. This beautifully illustrated picture book is a powerful reminder that with a little help from each of us, children with autism can fulfill their dreams.

In My World is a sweet and simple story that describes a day in the life of a child with autism. I think it shows the things that we all have in common well; the joys and desires surrounding love and acceptance among them. The illustrations and words do a wonderful job of showing the joy and imagination that fill the child's world, and explaining some of the struggles they have in dealing with other people and their expectations. I think this would be a great conversation starter in classrooms, families, or public settings like library story times to help children understand and care for each other and themselves.

A truly beautiful and eye opening story! I loved the illustration and I loved even more that the little boy had autism. Not very often you come across a story wth the character having autism and they story takes you on a journey on how he is seeing the world around him!
A must read for everyone!

Simple yet vivid story about using your imagination. The illustrations are wonderful and will delight children. The story will encourage many to share their own thoughts and fantasies.

“In my world I can sing with the birds. In my world, I can be seen and heard!” Jillian Ma’s, In My World, follows a young boy, his friend, Max, and family as he explains the wonders he can experience in his world. Mimi Chao uses vibrant colors to depict his adventures. She uses shades of gray and blue when the child states, “In your world I have autism.” Color and hope return as the author declares, “But with the help of you and you and you, I can fulfill my dreams and make them come true.” Rhyming and repetitive text offer the reader a positive, vivid view of the boy’s journey. In My World presents a world full of imagination and possibilities.

I would like to thank Future Horizons for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an open and honest review.

I read, and am therefore, reviewing this book with my 8 year old HFASD son. He is the one that gave the rating as this is a book more for him than me.

My son, who I refer to online as Horde#3, read ‘In My World’ to me (with a little help on some words) and said it was a “wonderful, colourful, good, great, perfect story on persistency”.

We discussed ‘In My World’ after we had read it and I explained how it was about people accepting Autism as being a different way of seeing the world and helping that world and ours become more accessible. My son said it was all about all the amazing things he can do in his head and how, with the help of friends, those things can start to happen outside of his head too.

He also loved that it was a picture book about a child like him, who has Autism, and how it is shows what we call his superpowers (Amazing Autism) is in others too just waiting to come out.

Now for my review - I loved the images and colours used, the interaction of the boy in his world, the colour changes to demonstrate the differences and the basic beauty of it all.

Being Neuro Diverse myself (and having three ND kids) I would have liked to seen a girl and her Amazing Autism too… But the book is about “MY” world and so justified as to why it is only about a boy. Maybe a girl’s one can be done? As Amazing Autism does “hide” in girls in different ways to boys. Maybe I am just being to modern and new age about it all! ;-)

The graphics and layout are excellent. My son loved seeing all the little things the pages had in them. And I, personally, loved the meditating picture and would happily have it framed and hung on a wall in our house it was just so…. RIGHT! It’s hard to explain, but that single picture spoke volumes through its colours, shading and depiction of the child connecting to his inner calm. So beautiful.

Would I recommend this book to others?

Yes I would… and not just to people with ASD kids. Possibly not even to kids who are Neuro Diverse. This is a book about explaining how we are all different. Where inside us the world is one way and we can do all these amazing things… and the outside world can be scary and hard to follow without the right guidance and acceptance of our differences. Whether that be our different perspectives of the world, our different languages, cultures, etc.

‘In My World’ isn’t just about Autism. It is about difference and how easy it is to accept, assist (if needed) and embrace it.

So yes, if you have a child at this level of reading (age is not the factor, their reading level is) then yes I would recommend this book as it teaches some important skills about differences and acceptance.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Yes I would. I will need to see if it is available in Australia in the paper form as I found it such a calming, interesting and fun book to read, or have read to me. Simply gorgeous.

In summary: This story is about a lot more than autism, it’s about different and acceptance. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. Our young boy shows all the things that are possible to do and be in his world. Every single thing is a relatable every day thing for young children. When the book concludes, you learn that the character has autism. I think this should be shared with all young children in our lives. It reminds them that autism doesn't define a child and they are all more alike than they are different. It can be applied universally to all the differences they see in others and serve as a reminder that our humanity binds us. The illustrations were wonderful and imaginative. I highly recommend this title.

Loved this fairy tale type story. Beautiful illustrations!