The story behind the story

I'm Yen, father to our own real-life Theo, the inspiration for these stories. I’m not a storyteller. I’m a father to a child who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 4 and is currently being evaluated for ADHD.

Throughout Theo’s short life so far, I have seen him go through so many struggles that no child should have to go through - to communicate, to understand his emotions and how to deal with them, to make friends. I have seen parents talk about the same struggles with their own kids, with a sense of relief in knowing we’re going through the same situations. The challenges that both children and parents go through on this journey should not be a hidden embarrassment, but should be more openly discussed and widely understood.

The book began with an idea to write down a short story for Theo to read. At the time, he was struggling with school - always in and out of the classroom - and meltdowns were a daily norm. I wanted a way for Theo to understand he is not alone and that there is always a way to come back, even if he doesn’t know it. Reading isn’t his strong point, so I decided to add some pictures to help him understand. That led to the first book, The Boy with the Firework Brain, and as I was editing this first story, more examples came to mind that I wanted to visualise, which has led to this series of books.

This series is not intended to be a guide from an expert, but instead a bunch of short stories each identifying a meltdown point for the child and a way to bring them back. It’s meant to be motivational for the child reading the book, and also a sense of hope for parents reading this with them - a real-life account of our own experiences presented in picture book form.

I hope the books can be a touchpoint for both kids and parents, something we can all bond over. If this sounds like something you’re going through, know that you’re not alone and we’re here to support each other. If you have any feedback or just want to talk, feel free to reach out.