My Brother Otto and the Birthday Party

June 15, 2022
Two siblings go to a friend's birthday party. An anthropomorphic bird and their younger brother, Otto, who is autistic and nonspeaking (he uses a tablet to communicate), prepare for the celebration in their own ways--the protagonist wants to wear a pretty dress, while Otto wants to wear his favorite color, yellow. The narrator dons a new headband, while Otto puts on his noise-canceling headphones. Otto is very good at picking out presents, since he connects people he loves with certain objects. The birthday girl, Ruthie, a deer, is also neurodiverse--she doesn't look people in the eyes when she's talking to them, and she presses her forehead to another person's to show thanks. Ruthie loves Otto's present, and she rocks back and forth happily while Otto flaps his wings in celebration. The narrator, who is neurotypical, patiently explains how Otto experiences things "in his own way"--for instance, he will only eat a piece of cake that has yellow on it, because other colors are "too much" for him. These times and the adults' explanations for some of Otto's and Ruthie's behaviors are all presented in the same understanding tone. Exuberant, brightly colored, cartoon-style pictures revel in the celebratory atmosphere of the story and depict an all-animal cast. When present on the page, Otto's tablet shows images or words conveying his current emotion or a message. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Wonderful situational representation of neurodiversity. (Picture book. 3-7)

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