Minna's Masks Wonderfully Wired Stories

It’s a big day for little Minna: her first day at school. It’s an experience that will be challenging to some degree for all children but is particularly worrying for Minna. Minna is is neurodivergent; she has AuDHD, meaning she is autistic and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In new places, when things feel overwhelming, or when meeting new people, Minna masks, consciously adapting her behaviour to be more socially acceptable. We see her wearing masks in different situations and having a difficult time at school when she can’t find them. All is sorted with the help of a fellow classmate, who also uses masking, and support from her teacher. With lively, appealing illustrations, this picturebook sensitively explores a range of neuro-diverse experiences for children like Minna, and for their classmates and adults who know or work with them. The device of representing Minna’s masks literally makes Minna’s situation comprehensible even to very young children and the story is reassuring and positive. Notes at the end of the book share more information for parents and caregivers, with practical advice on ways to help and a reminder of just how exhausting masking can be, something else the story makes clear. This is the first in a planned series and Louise Gooding is also author of Wonderfully Wired Brains, an introduction to neurodiversity for older readers.