As a parent of an autistic child, it's important to me to find good quality children's books about autism. Ones that I could feel comfortable sharing with my own kids.
Years ago, it was proving to be a bit of a challenge because, unfortunately, there is a lot of junk out there...
It seems like for every good picture book about autism that I could find, I first had to read about 7-10 absolutely terrible ones. Seriously, there are so many books that I couldn't even bring myself to finish reading because of poor wording, misinformation, and/or negative portrayals of autism that they presented within their opening pages.
Thankfully, more and more highly quality and positive autism picture books are being published. Many are even written by autistic authors these days! Something that would have been rare even 5 or 10 years ago.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite picture books about autism for kids. Books that truly represent the autistic experience and feature a diverse range of characters.
A version of this post originally appeared on the CBC Parents website. This book list was last updated on April 16, 2025 to include new book suggestions, along with updated descriptions, and remove books I no longer approve of.
The Best Autism Picture Books for Kids
The following children's books about autism are great for sharing with kids of all ages, autistic or non-autistic alike. They are books that I have personally read and would actually read to my own kids, including my autistic son.
Unlike other lists of autism books for kids that you'll come across on the internet, I've actually read every single book on this list, as well as tons of duds that didn't make the list. I didn't pick these book recommendations blindly! This list will also be updated as I find new titles to share.
I've included short reviews about the text, illustrations, and what I liked (or didn't like) about them as a way to help you discover which ones might be right for you.
1. A Day with No Words by Tiffany Hammond
Here's an excellent picture book that is so neuro-affirming and positive. It's written by an autistic mother of two autistic boys and features a Black non-speaking child who uses an AAC device to communicate. And even the mom uses AAC too! It highlights stimming, presuming competence, and that all forms of communication are valid. I also really loved the illustrations in this book. Highly recommend this one!
2. My Autistic Mama by Kati Hirschy
Here's a beautiful picture book about having an autistic mom (I mean the title kind of gives that away, doesn't it?). Written by an autistic adult, this book touches on stimming, sensory differences, accommodations like headphones, safe foods, preferences for routines, and more. The art style is really unique and shows a lot of diversity as well. Highly recommend this book!
3. Just Right for You: A Story About Autism by Melanie Heyworth
I have the first version of this book that had a different illustrator. I'm not sure why they re-did it such a short time after it was first published, but whatever...this book is fantastic and is geared towards introducing your autistic child to their autism. It touches on communication differences, play, sensory differences, and more. I seriously love this book and think it's perfect. It's definitely worth owning your own copy! By the way, the author is also autistic.
4. Remarkable Remy by Melanie Heyworth
I love the art style of the illustrations in this book and the story is really sweet and positive. It showcases lots of autistic strengths and even touches on alternative ways of communicating, such as through gestures. This book is written by an autistic author.
5. Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming by Steve Asbell
Here's a picture book dedicated solely to celebrating stimming. It highlights a variety of different ways to stim such as spinning, hand flapping, and vocal stimming. The art is really unique and captures that "overwhelming" feeling. It's a really wonderful book about how stimming is a natural way to regulate. I love how positive and joyful this book is. Definitely worth checking out!
6. My Brother Otto & The Birthday Party by Meg Raby
Otto is a non-speaking autistic crow who uses AAC to communicate, which is prominently highlighted throughout the book. His friend, Ruthie, also seems to be autistic, although that's not explicitly stated in the text. The took touches on sensory seeking (e.g., jumping), accommodations (e.g., headphones), using visuals, stimming, and more. It's a really good book with cute illustrations.
7. Leo & the Octopus by Isabell Marinov
While this book doesn't explicitly mention autism in the text, it does showcase lots of autistic traits, such as sensory differences, special interests, and infodumping. I love the artwork in this book (very Oliver Jeffers-esque) and the story reminds me of the novel Remarkably Bright Creatures, which I love.
8. Born to Stand Out by Nikki Rogers
Here's a book that touches on autistic masking and camouflaging and, eventually, unmasking. I love the cute illustrations in this book and the message is great.
9. Do You Want to Play? Making Friends with an Autistic Kid by Daniel Share-Strom
When I first started reading this book, I thought it had a printing error because a couple of pages are upside down. Turns out, it was intentional and for a great reason: to help you see something from someone else's perspective. Brilliant idea, really. And the book is really good, perfect for sharing with classmates, friends, and even siblings of autistic kids. It's definitely a great choice for a teacher to share with their class.
10. Why Johnny Doesn't Flap: NT is Ok! by Clay & Gail Morton
This book is not like the rest on this list simply because it is SO different. Instead of focusing on how autistic kids are different, it discusses why neurotypical kids are different and why that's okay too. I appreciate the shift in perspective and how it flips the narrative around. It's a refreshing take, that's for sure.
11. Benny Doesn't Like to Be Hugged by Zetta Elliott
I thought this book is really great for a variety of reasons. First, it features a Black autistic boy (representation matters!). Second, the simple format of the book ensures it's not overwhelming. After all, too much text would have overwhelmed my son when he was younger so I know that this book would have been a fantastic read for him when he was a toddler. Third, it mentions many of the sensory differences that are common in autism. And, finally, I love the overall messages of it's okay to be different and that it's important to accept your friends for who they are.
12. The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca
This book does a lovely job of talking about the famous scientist Temple Grandin who is autistic, while also touching on some common autism traits. While Temple Grandin is viewed as problematic by many in the autistic community for a lot of reasons, the book itself is great and the illustrations are really well done. It's definitely a great book if you're looking for a book that features a female autistic character.
13. Noah Chases the Wind by Michelle Worthington
The artwork in this book is gorgeous and really captures the movement of the wind. Seriously, the illustrations really make this book stand out. While the book doesn't specifically mention autism in the story's text, the main character knows that he sees, feels, and thinks in ways that differ from his peers. The author note does mention autism and sensory differences.
14. Benji, The Bad Day, and Me by Sally J. Pla
Here's a book that features two siblings, one who is neurotypical and one who is autistic. It's a really sweet story with cute illustrations. I love how this book highlights how proprioceptive sensory input has a calming effect and is beneficial for lots of kids. It would be a great read for siblings.
15. Spencer's Special Interests by Paige Amanda
Created by an autistic author and illustrator, this book focuses on the topic of special interests. The story is quite good and the illustrations are bright, colorful, and diverse in terms of representation.
16. More Than Words by Roz MacLean
While this picture book isn't necessarily autism specific (nor does it name autism in the text), I feel like it's worth including here for how it showcases different forms of communication. Communication methods that a lot of non-speaking autistics might use. Also, I love, love, LOVE the diversity shown in the illustrations. It's a beautiful picture book.
17. Jo's Special Gifts by Mariam Shapera
This picture book features an autistic (and presumably hyperlexic!) boy named Jo. The illustrations are lovely and show a lot of diversity. Plus, AAC is shown in the illustrations. The rhyming text flows nicely and highlights special interests, echolalia, and even perfect pitch. It's a really good book overall. My only (minor) complaint is that I don't really care for the title.
18. Autistic Alfie by Jayden Dove
This picture book was written by an autistic 11 year old boy. It has a nice simple design with rhyming text. The illustrations are nice, although a bit blue-heavy though (similar issue as I address with Masterpiece, further down on this list). Overall, it's a pretty great book.
19. The Autistic Boy in the Unruly Body by Gregory C. Tino
Both the author of this book and the main character are autistic and have apraxia. So, if you're looking for a book that touches on apraxia, this book is great option. Kids will enjoy the humor throughout as the boy tries out other bodies, including a turtle, a snake, and a walrus. It's a good little book with some fun humor.
20. A Way With Words by Stacy Burch
While autism isn't explicitly mentioned, it does feature a non-speaking girl who could very much be autistic. She could even possibly be hyperlexic given all the letters and words swirling around the illustrations. It's a good book overall, highlighting different ways of communication, such as through art, dance, and music. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the illustrations in this book though. I found them a bit weird looking at times.
21. Through the Eyes of Me by Jon Roberts
About a young autistic girl named Kya, this book is filled with colorful illustrations and touches on lots of autistic traits such as sensory differences and stimming. It also reinforces the idea that eye contact may be uncomfortable and isn't required for listening. Overall, a decent book.
22. Through the Eyes of Us by Jon Roberts
The follow up to "Through the Eyes of Me," this picture book features two autistic girls who are good friends. Throughout the book, the author shows us how autism looks different in each and every autistic person and reminds us that no two autistic people are the same. It highlights traits such as repeating questions, echolalia, processing delays, alternative forms of communication, and sensory differences. Overall, it's a good book - better than the original one, in my opinion.
23. My Brother Otto by Meg Raby
Here's a cute book that features a pair of siblings who are crows. The younger brother Otto is autistic and uses an AAC device to communicate. Overall, it's a fairly good book that's great for sharing with kids with autistic siblings. However, I do want to mention two wording choices that are not ideal. The sister calls Otto "naughty" and "annoying."
24. Masterpiece by Alexandra Hoffman
This picture book features an autistic boy as the main character (although autism isn't specifically mentioned) and showcases wearing headphones in class and stimming. It's a good book overall.
However, I do have two complaints though. First, is the use of blue throughout. I can't help but wonder if the author intentionally picked blue as a way to represent autism. If so, that's a bit problematic. Second, is more minor. The illustrator, in my opinion, had a bit of an oops. One girl in the story complained that Samuel's drawing was only one color. Yet, most of the illustrations showed the other kids' drawings and they were only in one color, too...so yeah, that slightly bothered me.
25. Camille the Chameleon on Masking by Gloria Dura-Vila
Written specifically for autistic kids, this picture book focuses on camouflaging and masking and helping kids understand what that means and how it impacts their mental health. The illustrations are very colorful, but, holy moly, there is a lot of text in this book. It's very wordy (I have similar complaints about her other book "The Panda on PDA" - see below) so I think it's best for older kids and even teens. The content is really great though and definitely worth checking out.
26. The Panda on PDA by Gloria Dura-Vila
Here's a picture book that focuses on the PDA profile of autism. It even features panda drawings by autistic PDAer kids, which is a nice touch. While the information in this book is good, I feel like the execution could have been so much better. For instance, it has a lot of text, which some may find overwhelming. I do appreciate how the book touches on masking and the importance of giving enough time to give answers. I also like that the book is interactive, encouraging kids to fill it in as they read. Just not sure how many kids actually would fill it, especially those with a PDA profile.
27. A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey
This book features an autistic boy who is looking for a friend in his class. The illustrations are really nice and the story is fine overall. I just feel like it could have been written a bit better, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is that it needed.
28. All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism by Shaina Rudolph & Danielle Royer
This autism picture book seems to be readily available at libraries. The illustrations are cute and the story is fairly good (the transition to introducing autism could be improved as I find it doesn't flow well with the first half of the book). It touches on some common challenges that autistic kids might encounter at school (e.g., loud noises, not knowing how to join conversations), while also highlighting a variety of strengths that autistic kids might also have. Overall, a decent book.
29. Next Level: A Hymn in Gratitude for Neurodiversity by Samara Cole Doyon
Written by a neurodivergent author, this picture book features a non-speaking Black autistic boy (although autism isn't specifically mentioned in the main text - it's in the author's note though) who is shown with fidgets, chew toys, a body sock, and stimming. The text is rhyming throughout, but I personally thought the text was just okay and not particularly engaging. However, the author's note is really lovely and worth the read. On the other hand, the illustrations really capture a lot of neurodivergent and autistic joy, which I love, and, for me, they kind of carry the book.
30. My Friend Julia: A Sesame Street Book About Autism
This book is a big improvement from their original We're Amazing 1,2,3! book, which was good, but still had some minor issues. In this particular book, we see examples of stimming, sensory differences, accommodations, and coping strategies. Tips on how to be a friend are also included. All in all, it's a solid little book, especially for the younger crowd.
** Please note that one book pictured in some old Pinterest images has since been removed. I admit that I wasn't able to spot the problems in the book "My Brother Charlie" at first (spotting ableism is tricky when you're still learning - plus I didn't read the information section at the end!) and the book is no longer one that I would recommend. It has been removed from this list here. Look at me being human and admitting my faults ;) **
More Recommendations for Neurodiversity & Autism Books for Kids
While the above list of books focus on picture books for younger kids and on autism specifically, perhaps you want something for older kids or about neurodiversity in general. If so, try these book lists:
- Chapter Books & Novels with Autistic Characters for Kids & Teens - Great for independent reading or read alouds!
- Books About Autism for Autistic Teens & Tweens - For teens and tweens who want to better understand their autistic identity and how to deal with common teen issues or concerns.
- The Best Neurodiversity Books for Kids - Picture books that are perfect for introducing the concept of neurodiversity to kids.
- Picture Books About Sensory Processing Differences - Awesome for learning about sensory processing, sensory overload, and exploring sensory differences.
I hope you found this list of autism picture books helpful.
