The Adventures of Charlie – Delighting in Differences by A. D. and Charlie Owens – The Strawberry Post
A book review of a fun children’s picture book showing what autism is like for some children through one boy’s adventure in a place called Diddlywhirlville.
About The Adventures of Charlie: Delighting in Differences
Title: The Adventures of Charlie: Delighting in Differences
Author: A. D. and Charlie Owens
Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
Genre: Children’s picture book
Book format reviewed: Paperback
Sweet Strawberries: 
Description: Welcome to Diddlywhirlville, a place where sunbeams dance and the extraordinary is part of every day. Meet Charlie, a joyful young boy with a unique way of seeing the world. With his zippy-zany zappers strapped on, he sets out each morning eager to discover new adventures at every turn.
From the giggling colors of the Rainbow Woods where trees belt out shades like a choir, to the serene whispers of Silentshade Village, Charlie’s days are filled with the magic of the unexpected. Alongside friends like Glitterbeak the bird and Jugglefur the squirrel, Charlie explores the vibrant, sound-filled landscape with all his senses, turning what others might miss into moments of pure delight.
Join Charlie as he skips, dashes, and dances through his world, finding clues in the laughter of the forest and learning lessons in the quiet corners of his town. His journey is a testament to the beauty of diversity, teaching us that each friend is a puzzle piece–different yet essential.
As night falls over Diddlywhirlville and the stars sprinkle the sky with light, Charlie’s stories weave together a powerful message: in a world where everyone is uniquely important, kindness is the heartbeat that connects us all.
Free copy provided by author for review…
My review and thoughts on The Adventures of Charlie: Delighting in Differences
This is such a good rhyming picture book helping to teach kids about autism. Charlie’s excited for the day and puts on his favourite shoes as he’s about to go on an adventure in Diddlywhirlville. In Diddlywhirlville there’s no time for a nap and Charlie whizzzes about meeting lots of different friends and having a fun and colourful adventure, all while experiencing this through his special senses. The picture book is filled with some wonderful and colourful illustrations and rhyming text.
The book follows Charlie who has an adventure in Diddlywhirlville, experiencing the sun shining, meeting up with animal and human friends, exploring the woods, etc., all through his special autistic senses. I like how this book explains the way autism can affect children’s perspective of things, especially how sensitive they can be to sounds and colours. The words of the story rhyme throughout and have a good rhyming pattern to them, and I love how so many of the words help to convey the way Charlie senses things, for example: ‘In Diddlywhirlville colors poppity-pop and ping-a-ding-ding’. It’s not only fun to say these words and rhymes but it gives you an idea of how life is for Charlie.
The illustrations help tell the story well and I love the way Charlie and all the other characters look. The extremely colourful pages help show just how colourful and full of sensory information the world can be for autistic children and I like how this is shown in a way that those without autism can understand. Overall this is a great and fun picture book which is great for explaining kids about how the world might feel for their autistic peers. It’s a great way to teach kids while also celebrating the differences we all have, and a great book for sharing with kids who have autism too, to show they aren’t alone.
Other children’s books about kids whose minds work differently
-Read review – This That What by Katy Ashworth & Colleen Larmour
-Read review – The Merry Christmas Murders by Alexandra Benedict
-Read review – Isaac and His Amazing Autism Superpowers! by Melanie Walsh
-Read review – The Torch by Jon Roberts & Hannah Rounding (Lilly & Myles #1)
What do you think of this book? What books would you recommend for teaching kids about neurodivergence and other conditions? Let me know what you think in the comments below 🙂
