Since We're Friends: An Autism Picture Book

by Celeste Shally, David Harrington (Illustrator)

Matt’s autism doesn’t keep him from having fun! Even when he struggles in social situations, his friend is there to help him out. The two boys love playing sports watching movies, reading books, and talking about animals. By working together, a best friend’s understanding and compassion change Matt’s frustration into excitement. No matter where they go—from the basketball court to the playground swings to the neighborhood pool—the two friends enjoy spending time with each other.

*Ideal for fans of My Brother Charlie, All My Stripes, and I See Things Differently: A First Look at Autism
*A delightful autism story book
*A sweet story about two friends and how they help each other

David Harrington’s bright illustrations delightfully compliment Celeste Shally’s sweet and touching story of friendship. This book is the perfect guide for parents and children to better understand people with autism spectrum disorders.

Genres: Picture Books, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Childrens, Friendship, Disability, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Celeste Shally is mother and full-time caregiver to her adopted son with autism and intellectual disability. She is the author of Since We’re Friends: An Autism Picture Book and The Bully Blockers: Standing Up for Classmates with Autism. She and her husband, Mike, and their sons Cooper and Jaxon, live in Northwest Arkansas. In her free time, she enjoys reading, sewing, and trying to keep her flowers alive in the Arkansas heat.

Reviews

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 stars 🌟

This was a sweet story about two friends, one with autism. Mike looks out for Matt and is extra patient...since they are friends.

[Domonique Mattis]

Children with autism are often left out by other children because they are a little different. Matt and his friend are ready to hang out together all summer vacation. Matt’s friend knows
Matt has autism so he tries his best to help Matt out when he needs it. Matt’s friend is aware that Matt is a little different from his other friends but he does not treat him any differently. Matt’s friend always makes sure he makes Matt feel better when other people make him feel different.
Since We’re Friends: An Autism Picture Book by Celeste Shally is a great book to have in the classroom. I would recommend that teachers have this book in their classroom because it really teaches children about what it is like having autism. This book talks about the affects autism can have on someone while also telling the children helpful thing to do to help someone with autism. The illustrations in this book are great for young children because they will be able to understand them and tell what’s going on from the pictures. This book shows the children that just because someone is a little different does not mean they need to be treated differently. Reading this book in the classroom would be helpful when there is a child with autism in the classroom because it would give the other children a better understanding of what that child deals with everyday and how they can help that child feel more included.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book is a great way to teach young people about other young people with autism. There are so many children on the autism spectrum and they all range in behaviour and characteristics. The story is narrated by a young boy whose best friend is Matt, who is on the autism spectrum. They laugh and play like any two boys do, but the Matt sometimes responds differently and needs to be calmed down or redirected, which his friend does very well. Many children with autism suffer from anxiety, due to be overstimulated or overwhelmed. When my grandson started school, he had to wear noise cancelling headphones due to the noise. He would run from the gym because it was so loud. I like that the book also addresses bullying and isolation of these children as that is one of the things that happens often.

Since We're Friends is an excellent book for teaching both children and adults to understand how and why autistic children are different, and why those differences should be respected and not labeled as weird. This book is an excellent choice for educating the children in your life that autism is something to be understood, rather than feared. This book should be in every school and primary classroom. Whether a child has direct contact with a child on the autism spectrum or not, they will probably cross paths with someone on the spectrum someday.

[Alycia Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since we’re Friends is an Autism Picture book written by Celeste Shally. This book is intended for children ages four to eight. This picture book is about two friends who do everything together. One of the boys, Matt has Autism but that doesn't stop the two from having a great time together. This book has not won any awards, although I would argue that it should have for its informative nature on a sensitive topic. This book goes over the tough realities of Autism and how it effects peoples emotions and behaviors. The author did a great job of providing was to help refocus Matts attention when he gets upset. Through rich colorful pictures you can visualize all of the fin adventures the two friends went on. I like how the Illustrator, David Harrington took a realistic approach to the pictures while still making them cartoon like. It is more appealing to children to see picture with bright colors that looks realistic with a hint of something extra then to just see a black and white sketch. The pictures help tell the story and how Matt is feeling based on his expressions. Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone with young children, it is a great way to discuss Autism with children in a positive way.

[Lynette Camerlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynette Camerlin EDUC 300.16 - Children's Lit.
Picture Book Review #2

"Since We're Friends: An Autism Picture Book" is a great book that portrays an accurate and appropriate representation of individuals who are diagnosed with Autism. This book discusses how individuals with Autism think, feel, and act "differently" compared to neurotypical individuals but emphasizes the importance that this does not define/make them actually "different." This book is a great way to introduce students/children to be self-aware of themselves and others by trying to understand one's emotions. I would implement this book in a whole-group read-aloud as I find it very important that my students understand how to care for, help, and accept their peers around them. I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars as it establishes diversity and inclusion in and outside of the classroom.

[Quanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since We're Friends, by Celeste Shally is in the genre of realistic fiction. It is recommended for kids in kindergarden through 6th grade. It Is told from the point-of-view of a little boy who's best friend has autism. He is always there for his friend when they play games. This is a great book for the inclusion classroom. I was a co-teacher for a 3rd grade class, where there were several kids with autism and other kids helped and played with them as the characters in the book did. This book can help teach compassion, fairness and how to deal with differences.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since We're Friends addresses and gives a truthful yet tender view of what it's like to have a friend with autism, as well as demonstrating the struggles kids with autism face with being accepted. It's an excellent book for children to explain and help understand autism spectrum disorder in children.

[Ousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for elementary school children to learn about classmates with autism.

[Dcisic1student.Gsu.Edu]

This book falls under the category of realistic fiction. The two characters portray actual events that children their age may choose to do such as swimming, running, playing, and so on. This book is about two friends who love to hangout together and do fun things. One of the friends, Matt, has Autism. This book goes through various activities that the two friends do together such as play basketball, go to the pool, swing at the playground, and come over to each others house for breakfast. It shows how Matt's friend goes above and beyond to make sure Matt is comfortable and has a great time doing whatever it is the boys are up to that day. If Matt gets frustrated, his friend is there to save the day. This is a great story that truly shows that just because someone is diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, they can still live a typical life and have fun with their friends. It also shows that being a good friend goes a long way, and that kids with Autism are not scary, weird, and rare. This book is one that children would be in to due to the fact that it is very relatable. It is a book that can bring up great discussion; "do you have friends like this who you play with?" This book allows for a wonderful read-aloud and discussion with students. At the beginning of the book, it gives a brief introduction on what Autism is. It states that one in every 110 children are diagnosed with Autism. Those numbers are rising every single day therefore, the message in this book is so important for all children even if they do not exactly understand what Autism is. This is one of the many reasons it makes for a great children's book. This book is interesting to children, especially young children, because it involves activities that most kids do in the summertime. The illustrations by David Harrington express vibrant colors, and pictures that are engaging and can create a discussion in a classroom. Practically the whole book can be read through a picture walk. Matt's feelings are clearly shown throughout the illustrations within the book. The whole book is problem and resolution, and relates to every day friendships, not just those with children who have a disability. This is great for young kids to see. If there is a problem, we solve it. At the Kindergarten level, this is so important for children to learn since they are still in that developmental stage of figuring their social life out. The characters in the book not only represent a typical child befriending one with a disability, but also two characters who are racially different. One character is white, and the other is black. This is a good representation of diverse races without actually mentioning the race in the book, especially with the growing diversity in our schools. The author did a great job of representing Autism in a way that is not too complicated for young children to understand. The terms and actions were simplified, so this book could be beneficial for many young children. As someone who has someone very close to me with an Autism diagnosis, I do have one complaint. On the back of the book, there is quotes from journals, foundations, etc. The term "normal" is used. I believe that this is not the correct term to be used when describing a child. In today's world, what really is normal? Are we all normal? The term "typical" is what I use. The majority is typical, but one in every 42 kids now a days has Autism. These children are not abnormal, and there is nothing wrong with them, they simply see and think of the world differently. The book does a good job of expressing these differences without focusing so much on normality. It shows how being a good friend can go such a long way to make for a simple, yet effective story in representing students on the Autism Spectrum. The book explains intellectual disability in a great way that children can understand as well as relate to.

[Lisa Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must have book. The author does such a good job describing actual scenarios that are typical and tend to happen often with children that are on the autism spectrum. In this story it tells of a friendship between 2 boys, 1 them who has autism. They are starting their summer break and as we are taken through scene by scene of a usual summer spent by children, each activity they engage in is something they enjoy. However, within each activity a cause and effect occurs that is outside of the normal day to day but they are actual things that do occur and eventually at some point would happen. Anyone who has ever known a child or even an adult, with Autism, you are aware that they need and rely on routine, change is unacceptable, they do not have the tools to properly cope with it. In this beautiful story, each time something does not go as planned and a meltdown begins, his friend seems to know just what to say to dissolve the issue at hand.

His quick-witted thinking provides insight to children about how they could handle similar situations or at least help direct their thinking of how to appropriately handle something like that. The story includes factual feelings and reactions that someone with Autism experiences daily and then through the friendship, it provides a guide for the best resolutions. It is delivered in such a nonchalant way that it appears to be clever but in reality, it really does just make sense. Some examples from the book would be when they are at the pool and while they are swimming their water toys are picked up by other kids. This makes him feel frustrated and anxious, but his friend suggests that it is ok and that they should all play together.

Another example referencing the pool is when they go and there is a sign posted that the pool is closed for repair and his friend suggests that they go back to his house and play with the hose in the yard, and they end up using their imagination and pretend that they are firefighters. Whether the resolution is to redirect, come up with something new for him to focus on, accommodate or amend a plan, explain when in a calmer environment, try to help shift the emotion, whatever the case calls for it does not matter because his friend is a true friend so he does not mind doing what needs done in order to make his friend feel better and be happy. It is about taking the time to learn and understand and if you love your friend and cherish your friendship, you will do whatever you possibly can to make sure they know you care, otherwise what is a friendship?

[Aryanna Ferdinandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since We're Friends: An Autism Picture Book is a story about a boy and his friend Matt. The two boys play basketball, football, baseball, and soccer together on the same team and enjoy playing together. However, Matt has autism, so being friends with him is different than being friends with anyone else. Matt gets frustrated and anxious when things change or do not go the way he expected it to, so part of being friends with him is knowing how to make him feel better when these unexpected things happened, like when the pool is closed for the day or someone else is playing on the swings.

The overall theme of Since We're Friends is that with support and understanding, people with Autism can fully participate in activities and play their role in society/ in their communities.

When I read Since We're Friends, I found myself very happy with the boy and his friend Matt. Although Matt has autism, the boy understood him and helped him through his frustrations and anxiety when something unexpected would happen simply because they were friends.

I would definitely recommend this book because it shows the importance of children supporting, helping, and understanding other kids who may have autism or other disabilities. With this, it also shows how important patience is in a friendship and how important is it to be a good friend. This I believe is a very valuable lesson for children in school, because being a supportive and understanding friend is a skill that many learn while in school and meeting new people.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If in your classroom there is a student who is a bit different from your other students it would be a great book to read to them before the child enters the class. Or if your child is in a classroom with a child who is different from them you should read this book to them. Then talk to them about what it is that makes them different and ways that they can include this child and make them not feel left out. The story is about two best friends and one of them has autism and may act out sometimes. The friend understands that his friend gets upset easily and does things to help calm him down with other things they like. Using this book in the classroom is a wonderful teaching tool to show students that it is okay to be different and sometimes being different isn't always something they can control. Teaching kids and educating them young about how different others is very important thing to do and to help them get to understand other cultures and disabilities that may make them look or act different.

[Abigail Bristow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Challenges/Issues.
Awards: None.
Audience: Ages 4-8 yrs. old

A. In this book "Since We're Friends: An Autism Picture Book" the challenges of autism is discussed through the story of two boys that are good friends and one of them, Matt, is autistic. The story is told through the eyes of Matt's friend who is always discussing the fun activities they do throughout the summer as well as the various things he does to help Matt when he struggles. The friend does certain things for Matt always saying "since we're friends" showing a genuine and sincere love he has for Matt as his friend despite Matt's differences from the other children.

B. I would say that the ages 4-8 years old are an appropriate audience for this text. I agree that these would be appropriate age groups to introduce this topic since most ages younger than 4 may struggle to fully understand the challenges of autism. The text is limited and fairly simple in sentence structure making it reader friendly for the younger aged readers up to 8 years old. Those from the ages of 4 up to 8 would also be fairly ready to discuss (although nearing 8 years old the children can probably talk in greater depth) some of the simple issues and challenges addressed in this text.

C. This book could either be a "window" or "mirror" book depending on the reader. For most children who do no have autism, this would be a "window" book because it is providing them with insight into what it may be like to have a friend or know someone who is autistic and the various challenges that person may experience. Children who are autistic may find this to be a "mirror" book as it shows what they are experiencing and may find challenging (for instance, change was something that would make Matt feel very anxious, a common characteristic for an autistic individual). Overall, I believe that this text is a "window" book because it is told from the perspective of the friend of the autistic child, and this is a perspective that most children may have regarding this challenge of autism.

[Erin Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Challenges/Issues
Awards: None
Audience: PreK - 3rd Grade
A: The challenge being discussed in the book is learning to be friend with children who have autism. Many children just notice the differences instead of trying to be friend with the child and getting to know them.
B: It is very important for children to understand what a child with autism feels or struggles with. Helping children understand why children with autism act the way they do sometimes, allows them to not look at them so differently. I would inform people that it is important for children to learn to get to know people and be kind to all instead of judging others differences.
C: This would be a window book for most children because they will be looking into the life of a child with autism and understanding why they act certain ways. But there may be some children with autism who can identify with the character in the story and the way he is feeling, and to those children the book is a mirror book.

[Avery A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Free Choice - Challenges/Issues
Awards: None
Audience: ages 4-8
A. Since We're Friends is a story about 2 best friends, one of which has autism (Matt). The book talks about the things that are harder for Matt because he has autism, such as communicating clearly or staying focused.
B. I would use this book with the siblings of a child recently diagnosed with autism. This book does a great job at showcasing that despite being on the autism spectrum, it is still possible to have good friends and do the same things, it just might require more patience and understanding. The story is presented in a child-friendly and relatable way as it is told from the perspective of Matt's friend.
C. This book is a window book because it teaches about autism and explains some typical characteristics of children on the spectrum. With the enlightenment of what autism is, children can better accept and understand people who have it.

[Scott Southerland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice picture book meant to teach young people about other young people with autism. This book would be a good present for a kid who had a neighbor or a classmate with autism who they were having a hard time understanding. It is told from the point of view of a 'normal' boy whose best friend is autistic. They laugh and play like any two boys do, but the autistic boy does behave in some typically autistic ways. The main character always finds a good way to calm his friend down or redirect is attention or inattention in a way so as to make his autistic buddy happy. The book teaches some good techniques that a young person could learn to cope with a friend with autism. I will say however that I read this on Kindle and sometimes the pictures and action didn't quite match up, I assume this is an Amazon based problem though.

[Suzanne Maley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked that the book dealt with specific behaviors that a friend of someone who has autism might encounter. This can be useful for children. What bothered me about this book is that the child who has autism is African American and there are no other African American children in the illustrations where you can clearly see their faces. The only other characters where you can clearly see their faces appear to be Caucasian. Illustrations are just as important to telling a story as the text. While it is very possible that there would be a real life situation where this happens, I don't think a book that is presenting an introduction to autism should use race as a way of highlighting the character with autism.

[Michaela Klegseth · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book it reminds me of my relationship with my roommate and friend who is on the spectrum and how we help each other out. They help me realize different things then I never thought of and I help them in others ways.The story tells of a boy who has autism and his friend that helps him a lot.The story is narrated by his friend and tells his perspective and shows there friendship. Matt the boy with autism still has fun and don't let it from living life. His friend helps him understand and tells him things that seem to confuse him. The bright illustration really complements the story and how the author and illustrator complement their book. This book shows the different ranges of autism and tells of the spectrum and how the differences of each person.

[J.J. LeVan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great story about autism told from a little friend's point of view.

Many times parents and teachers are looking for ways to introduce their neurodiverse child to a group of students who are unfamiliar with autism. I think this easy read would be a perfect way to start sharing in the classroom.

Although the book doesn't dive into higher support kids, it is the kind of quality book that is so lacking in our special circles. "Since We're Friends" has skilled and colorful illustrations printed alongside uncomplicated language for young children.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 3 out of 5]

4/7/2018 ~~ A story narrated by a "typical" kid explaining the ways in which he and his friend (who has autism) like many of the same things. The narrator's voice sometimes pulled me out of the story when he became too adult-like or didactic. However, this book would be useful as a launching point for talking about the needs, challenges, and talents of classmates who are on the autism spectrum.

I appreciated that the kids in the illustrations had a range of skin tones.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about friendship with kid who has Autism. I can use this book to teach children about inclusion and acceptance. It helps the children to understand their friend who has autism and how to get along with him/her in daily life. This book shows that the behavior of children with Autism sometimes differs from others, but there are many common points that they can play together and share friendships with others.

[Katie Louwers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since were friends is a book about friendship with kid who has Autism. This book teaches children about inclusion and acceptance. It helps the children to understand their friend who has autism. The book shows that the behavior of children with Autism sometimes differs from others, but they have many things more in common than different. I really love this book because it teaches kids that although others are different we all share so many things in common.

[Maddy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great picture book! It tells a story of two friends, while also teaching useful information about students with ASD. If children learn about Autism and other special needs their classmates may have, they will be more helpful and understanding of why their friend does some things differently. I think this book is written in a wonderful way for kids to learn this very important information. Overall, I would recommend this book for any child!

[Emily Graney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young boy narrates story of summer vacation with friend Matt who is autistic. Explains different scenarios and how Matt can react, but he always redirects him. Matt can do all the things that other children do (swimming, playing on the swing, tag at night in the neighborhood). Great picture book for young children explaining autism.

[Aneesa]

There are some things the narrator and his friend Matt have in common, and some things they don't. The book repeats the phrase "Since we're friends" as the narrator makes a point to do the things Matt and he like to do together, talk a lot about the things they both like, help Matt when he has trouble with something, and make sure he is included.

[Amanda Pierson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for just the right books to share with general education classrooms during autism acceptance month in April.
This book brought love and acceptance through showing how his friend could help Matt emotionally regulate. The friend was a problem solver and cared about him.
I would've loved to get some point of view from Matt in how he enjoys playing with his friend.

[Kalynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about friendship, kindness, and good hearted-ness. The personal understanding, empathy, and social negotiation Matt's friend does, because he values him as a person and friend is such an important story and lesson for students to hear (again and again).

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about a young boy who understands his best friend processes a little differently because he has Autism. The book takes you through days in their life.
Great to start dialogue bout accepting and honoring people.

[Katya Lazukina · Rating 5 out of 5]

About a boy who has a friend with autism.
Great book that talks about the things they have to do because they have a different kind of friendship.
Working together, solving problems.

[Jasmine Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book teaches students to be a friend to students with autism. Sometimes, just having a friend can get you through the worst of times.