Lilly’s Mask
$30.00 GST inc.
Lilly is very good at hiding her feelings. She has to protect her puppy from the dragon that lives inside her. At school she holds up her smile mask and tries hard to be good, but when she comes home tired, the dragon escapes! Only Mummy sees that Lilly finds lots of ‘normal’ things terribly hard. When Lilly takes her favourite book to school and Zara ruins it, Lilly can’t hold her mask up any longer. Who can help Lilly tame the dragon and save the crying puppy? This engaging story highlights the behaviours of children who are masking autism, but every child will identify with the inner ‘dragon’ frustrating their attempts to regulate their emotions. A companion volume for ‘Being Friends with Bodie Finch’, it also comes with a helpful digital handbook for parents and teachers.
Susan Kitching –
As an educator and a grandparent I can not imagine a better book. This book is all about inclusion and it will help so many children recognise behaviours in themselves and others that may have been difficult to articulate. The illustrations are captivating and the text is beautifully composed. My grandson and I have already read it six times. I can not wait for school to return so that I can share it with my Prep/One class. This book is the perfect companion to Candy’s other work about a little boy Bodie Finch and it will be a catalyst for rich dialogue with my students. I love it so much I would recommend both books as texts to buy for any future student teachers I have as a good book can and does lead to amazing teaching and learning episodes.
Glenys Creighton –
Today I received my copy of Lilly’s Mask, written and illustrated by a very talented Candy Lawrence. Candy has an amazing ability to capture the emotions of a young girl dealing with autism. How Lilly deals with the ‘dragon’ and the ‘puppy’ inside her, by using her masks of ‘agreement’ and ‘compliance’ until she arrives home and can allow her mask to slip, reminded me so much of my son as a child that it bought tears to my eyes. This is a struggle that many children who are on the autism spectrum endure and many adults do not recognise or do not understand. It can be exhausting for all involved until someone shines a light on the situation. Candy has done exactly that with her book and anyone who needs to understand a child like Lilly would be well guided to use this book as a starting point for honest discussion. I only wish it had been around for my family when my son was small!
Cat Melvaine –
There is a little Lilly in all of us I think.
I read this book to my almost 13yr old the day it arrived. As I read she nodded along, as if every page was another affirmation of the masks she uses daily. Masks that help her get through the social demands and confrontations of a school day and help her not stand out or be isolated in any way. She also related to being able to remove the mask at home, and just be in her space in her own way without judgement or pressure to ‘perform’ as someone she is not.
This book is a wonderful way to open a conversation with children about their school experience and how to manage those big, but very important, feelings.
We love Lilly’s Mask!