My Dinosaur Shoes: Roscoe & Ivy

About this book

Roscoe LOVES his puppy shoes. They're so soft and comfy. 

His sister Ivy thinks they're too small for him. But Roscoe does NOT want new shoes. Ivy shows Roscoe a pair of new, bigger shoes that look like dinosaurs. But Roscoe does NOT want them. 

So the shoes are placed nearby. And when Roscoe realises that his puppy shoes are no longer soft and comfy, he tries on the now-familiar dinosaur shoes - and they're perfect!

This board book series about Roscoe and Ivy contains gentle stories about everyday experiences from a neurodivergent point of view. No one likes change, but Roscoe finds that after seeing them for a while, the dinosaur shoes don't seem as new and different. This scenario is common to many children, though the illustrations give subtle clues to Roscoe's particular needs. 

A double-page spread at the back spells out these needs, but the story works without this too. That said, it's great to see a visual representation of neurodivergent traits. For instance, Roscoe flaps his hands when he's happy and uses a board of face emojis to express himself. He also likes to play with fidget spinners and needs to get to know his shoes before he can wear them. 

The information at the end points out that what seem like small problems to one person can feel big to someone else, which could be a conversation-starter about other people's feelings with any pre-schoolers. 

Created with care by a neurodivergent author and an autistic artist, in collaboration with a Doctor of Occupational Therapy, this friendly, gentle board book will appeal to many families, whether neurotypical or neurodivergent.