“Are you sure you want us to come over?” Marly, my old friend from college, asked. “David sometimes has a hard time playing with other kids–everything has to be just so. It really bothers him if something’s messed up. And Jamie’s a jumper.”
“A jumper?” I asked.
“He climbs up on stuff and then he jumps off. His big thing right now is climbing up on top of my filing cabinet and jumping off onto the floor.”
“Wow,” I said, looking around my house at all of the six-foot-tall bookshelves and imagining two-year-old Jamie lying crushed and broken on my concrete floor.
“Tell you what, why don’t you come over here? It’ll be easier for David, and Jamie can jump of whatever he wants to. I’ve gotten hardened.”
Actually, what she had gotten was sick. She and her sons were battling the physical fallout of a nasty black mold infestation in their dream house. When you can no longer feel your face and your kids are suddenly falling prey to all sorts of chronic ailments letting your two-year-old jump off a filing cabinet can seem like not such a big thing. You drag a mattress next to the cabinet and wish him well. But I digress.
And that’s how The Boy and I found ourselves out in a fenced meadow between Gresham, Oregon and Mount Hood. The Boy, who was around five, was delighted. David and Jamie had a slide and a climbing structure (from the top of which Jamie naturally jumped) and, once Marly had explained a few ground rules (no touching David’s toys once he had them arranged, the slide could only be gone done in one position, etc), things went well.
The boys ran and played–or, rather, David and The Boy did; poor Jamie limped not because he had sprained something with all that jumping, but because he was wearing his red cowboy boots. Red cowboy boots that had originally be purchased for him as a much, much younger child.
“They hurt his feet,” Marly said. “His heels won’t even go all the way down inside them. But he won’t wear anything else. I’ve given up on that.”
I have to admit that as Marly and I lounged in lawn chairs in the sun on that spring day I wondered about her parenting skills. What kind of mother allows a two-year-old to leap from high places and wear shoes that clearly are painful? What kind of mother allows her four-year-old son to dictate that once his toys are set up they must remain exactly so until he decides to move them, which he never seems to do?
Sarah Ackerley illustrates one of Connor’s less well-thought-out ideas.
A mother, it turned out, who was parenting two sons who are not only battling a number of mold-related conditions, but also have Asberger’s Syndrome.
This was all years ago. Marly took the contractor who sealed up the walls of her dream house in the middle of a rainstorm to court and won–the first time such a thing had been done in a mold case in Oregon. She moved her family to a better climate for them. She educated herself about mold and Asberger’s, and then she saw to it that her sons got the support they needed to become healthy, happy, teenagers.
Author Jodi Carmichael
And that’s why, when I read Spaghetti is Not a Finger Food, written by Jodi Carmichael and illustrated by Sarah Ackerly, I found myself thinking of Marly, David, and Jamie the Jumper with new understanding and respect. Like David, Connor needs to have things just so not because he chooses to be difficult, but because he has strong, often physical responses to things that most of us take for granted. Order is important because without it there is chaos, and for children like David, Jamie, and Connor the chaos threshold is very low. A toy out of place is chaos. A girl sitting on a stool rather than on a chair is chaos. To a child with Asberger’s Syndrome, the world is a very different place. Everything matters. A lot.
Marly told me that years ago, but Spaghetti Is Not A Finger Food makes that experience real. Jodi Carmichael has given us the opportunity to experience the world as a child with Asberger’s Syndrome might, and it’s a moving and enlightening experience. Connor’s constant battle to get through his day in the midst of overwhelming distractions is by turns inspiring, hilarious, and heart-breaking. This is a book that will appeal not only to the young readers for whom it is written, but to parents as well.
So–story’s great–the book’s worth it for that alone. But I’m an illustrator and book designer, and I just can’t resist noting that Sarah Ackerley’s illustrations are absolutely pitch perfect–they’re fun and engaging without becoming caricatures. And hat’s off, too, to Little Pickle Press art director Leslie Iorillo. I know it’s not sexy to talk about font choices, but Iorillo’s design does a masterful job of keeping this story fun, approachable, and undeniably attractive. It instantly conveys the brightness and simplicity of the best elementary schools, and the handwritten subheads hint at the first-person elementary school-age speaker before a word is read. So–hat’s off to Leslie Iorillo, to Sarah Ackerley, and to Jodi Carmichael, who have created a book as fun as it is important. It’s available from Little Pickle Press, and on Amazon Kindle for a price that’s next thing to a steal. You should buy it now.
Bits and bobs: You will no doubt not be surprised, Gentle Readers, to learn that this is a stop on Little Pickle Press’ blog book tour. I’m proud to be part of spreading the word about some of the challenges children with Asberger’s Syndrome face–and how many of these children find clever, often brilliant, ways of coping with a world that in many cases doesn’t really understand how to cope with them. If you’d like to follow the tour, feel free to visit the links for past dates, and stop in at the host blogs on upcoming days.
- 1/7/13 – The Connor Chronicles
- 1/8/13 – Magic Dog Press, It’s Not All Gravy
- 1/9/13 – mom-ology
- 1/10/13 – Confessions of An Aspergers Mom
- 1/11/13 – Blood Red Pencil
- 1/12/13 – Leslea Tash
- 1/13/13- Inneraspie
About Little Pickle Press: Little Pickle Press is dedicated to helping parents and educators cultivate conscious, responsible little people by stimulating explorations of the meaningful topics of their generation through a variety of media, technologies, and techniques.
Translated, this means that Little Pickle books are the sorts of books that entertain, amuse, and challenge young readers and the adults in their lives. Take a few minutes and browse their website. I think you’ll be as impressed as I am.
If you enjoyed learning about Spaghetti Is Not A Finger Food, you might find the following posts about Little Pickle Press books enjoyable, too:
Speak! Good Dog! 
A terrific in-depth review as usual, Sherry. I adored this book, too!
Thanks, Dani–I do enjoy getting to review children’s books.
“Connor’s constant battle to get through his day in the midst of overwhelming distractions is by turns inspiring, hilarious, and heart-breaking.” Sherry, this is exactly how I felt when I read this book! I expected it to be interesting and funny, but found it to be so much richer than that. I really thought it was important to see how the people Connor related well to dealt with him because my first impulse was to hug him- which he would have HATED- but then I saw some of the ways in which appreciation, encouragement and approval could be given in a way that might be more acceptable.
Yes–one of the things I took away from this book was similar–Asberger’s syndrome really needs to be understood almost as an imposed language and culture. Kids like Connor want and need to be loved and understood–but the loving and understanding needs to be given in the “cultural framework and language” Asberger’s imposes.
Sherry,
When you wrote; “To a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, the world is a very different place. Everything matters. A lot”, my heart almost burst. You “got” Connor.
What a great review and post. Thank you so much for hosting us and casting the attention onto Sarah and Leslie for their incredible illustrations and artistic vision. It takes a team to make a book come alive.
Cheers,
Jodi
“It takes a team to make a book come alive.” Yes, it does, doesn’t it? I loved this story–and the illustrations and book design made me love it all the more.
Sherry, when you said, “imposed language and culture” it made me think of the deaf community. My understanding is that there is a pride of community there as well.
Yes. The same thing applies to the “little people” community. I’m not sure what the most current term is (my dear lifelong friend just says, “You may not have noticed this, but I’m a duwarf”). I prefer to think of such cultures as not less, but certainly different–and it’s just as important to understand such languages and cultures as it is to understand the language and culture of another country. Maybe that’s the metaphor for me–Connor lives in another country.
Of course, this raises all sorts of questions about the nature of reality, consensual reality, and how we decide what’s real and what’s not. In the end, I find I have to hold the ideas somewhat loosely, or they squish out between my fingers and shoot away–something I doubt Connor would appreciate!
LOL! Love that – squishing out and shooting away. So true.
I like to say, “Different isn’t good or bad. It isn’t a qualifier. It just is.”
Yes–it needs to be recognized not as a value, but as a state. Maybe the gift that those who live in different worlds bring us is a reminder that things aren’t necessarily as buttoned down as we’ve been taught–our reality really is determined by our perceptions. And what we perceive can be shaped by many, many things.
Most definitely. Shift our focus to what is positive and unique rather than the negative or difficult.
Yes–this offers us a real opportunity to learn–and teach–about respect, tolerance for others’ perspectives, and all sorts of important things.
I know I struggle with labels, labels labels, everything and everyone being labeled. I guess because I never wanted to be labelled! But I can see that perhaps having a general understanding of something could help others in knowing how to relate to differences. I saw aspects of my son, and even myself, in Connor- I really think that your message in this book goes way beyond the Asperger’s community.
That was one of the goals I had when writing Spaghetti – to not mention Aspergers in the book at all. That way anyone and everyone could relate to Connor – most kids have had some difficulty at some point, following school rules. I know I sure did. 🙂
And Jodi, I thought I was the only one who counted the steps between rooms at school! In fact, I still do odd little things like that. I have a LOT in common with Connor (SMILE)!
Thank you, Bodi for your in-depth review. Your words told a story about the journey of many, all coming together, making a difference. Jodi’s book is one of my favorites, Leslie Diorio is beyond talented as she embodies magic, and well, Little Pickle Press is the leader in the industry when it comes to outstanding content for children. In my humble opinion, all these folks are powerful changemakers! I believe it’s because they are living their dream.
This is so true, Melanie, thank you for your kind words. The passion of the people who work for Little Pickle Press is incredibly energizing, and much of what they do is simply groundbreaking, showing one way to step into a sustainable, global future for all.
Melanie, what kind words. Thank you.
What a thoughtful and thorough review of Spaghetti. The framing of the book against your experience makes it all the richer from a comprehension and understanding viewpoint.
Thanks for the great review and the colorful context, Bodie. Sarah Ackerley (illustrator) and Leslie Iorillo (art director) make a fabulous team. This is their second project together, and we hope to pair them up again at some point.
Jodi,
Congratulations! Your book sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to read it to my kids. Happy New Year! ~Land 🙂
Thanks Land! Sofia’s Dream is still one of my girls’ favourites.
I love your comments on both the story AND design of this book. The combination of the two make it absolutely irresistible. Thank you for supporting the Spaghetti BBT, and helping to spread the word about Jodi’s wonderful book.
The message in the story that Asperger’s isn’t a “defect” but “feature” really resonated with me. The sooner we acknowledge these differences as being beneficial and embrace the unique skills that these folks bring to the table, the better off we’ll be. Vive la Différence!
Vive la Difference, indeed.
I loved reading this book. What an inspiration it will be for parents with children like Connor
I loved the illustrations, too. Sarah just presents him SO well through the magic of Jodi’s words.
The message in the story that Asperger’s isn’t a “defect” but “feature” really resonated with me, too. I think many psychologists are looking at the many “features” including ADD and autism and questioning how much technology might be rewiring the modern brain. Another way to look at this might be as an “adaptation” rather than a “defect”. Time will tell.
This raises an interesting point–many creative people experience periodic bouts of depression (I’m one of them). I’ve come to understand it as part of my creative cycle–that down time seems to immediately precede periods of intense creativity. I’ve come to see it less as an illness than a part of who I am.
Oooh, as I do have ADHD I like the idea that my brain’s wiring is “adapted.” Sort of like a souped up racing car. Hmm, maybe I should put that in my bio…
This sounds like an amazing book!
Sherry, I get that way too, and I think it is part of the creative mind. I can’t count how many other authors I know, who have the same “issues.”
It’s sort of like the seasons–that fallow time seems to prepare the ground for the creative growing season. It’s good to know I’m not alone! (Actually, I know that Dorothy Parker seems to have had the same “adaptation,” though in her case it rose to dangerous levels).
Thanks for the props everyone!
This book was one of the easiest projects I’ve ever worked on. The story is charming and meaningful, and I knew that Sarah was the perfect illustrator after reading the first page; she sees characters in forms of heart and humor, not differences, and that’s what the visual story needed to be effective. I appreciate that this was noticed!
You guys did good work–I design books for YA and adult audiences, and of course illustrate and design my own for kids (and my college students), so I’m always on the lookout for that sort of thing.
I just ordered this book and can’t wait to read it, especially since I teach some kids with Asberger’s. Thanks!
Excellent, Shaunda–I think you’ll enjoy it very much. I know I did.
You were a wonderful blog book tour host, Sherry. Thanks so much.
You’re very welcome–this was a fun one–lots of people had interesting things to say. Also, this book is important–understanding those who see the world differently is huge, in my book.