The boy next door, who has autism, loves to lick the wind. “You should try it,” says his mom. “All the best winds are at the beach.” And so begins an amazing afternoon by the sea for two boys. One doesn’t always speak with words and likes throwing stones into...
Fiona Carswell is the mother of two boys – one autistic and the other neurotypical – and lives in East Lothian, Scotland. By day, she is a publicist in the Arts & Books sector, promoting (other people’s) books, literary prizes, book festivals, cultural projects, venues and events. In her spare time, Fiona writes occasionally for the Scottish press – mainly the Scotsman – and enjoys flying the flag for Autism Awareness Week each year, giving readers a glimpse into a world they may know very little about and which can be as hilarious as it is challenging, as life-affirming as it is sometimes heart-breaking, and as brilliantly, heart-burstingly bananas as it can be serious, overwhelming and utterly terrifying. The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind is Fiona's first book.
Yu Rong is an acclaimed British-Chinese children’s picture book illustrator. She studied Chinese Painting and Contemporary Art Design at Nanjing Normal University’s Art College and Communication and Design from London’s Royal College of Art, where she studied under Quentin Blake. In recent years, she has been working with several Chinese publishers and has worked with leading Chinese authors, including the Hans Christian Andersen award winner Cao Wenxuan and Andersen award nominee Qin Wenjun. She has received several prestigious international and national illustration awards. Yu Rong’s art work combines traditional hand paper cuts with drawing. Yu Rong lives in the countryside of Cambridge, England, with her husband, Donkey, her three children, Caterpillar, Chilli Pepper, and Bean, and their German Pointer, Captain Sniff.
"beautifully illustrated book [which] will help other children to be more understanding and accepting of autism.”
– Temple Grandin, author of The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum and Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism.
“This heartwarming story serves as a reminder that sometimes friendship transcends words, relying instead on profound connections of the soul.” — Fengyi Kuo, DHS, OTR, CPRP
A solid choice with its message of empathy as well as how to interact with their neurodivergent peers. —School Library Journal Review
