Sensory friendly reading
Sensory friendly books for neurodivergent children.
Most picture books are loud. Busy pages, crowded scenes, bright clashing colour and long sentences. For a child living with sensory overload, sensory processing differences or everyday sensory issues, that is one more thing to cope with at the end of a hard day.
The Big Feelings Are OK series was built the other way round. These are sensory books for autism, ADHD and high sensitivity, made quiet on purpose so the story can do its job.
What makes a book sensory friendly
Every book in the collection follows the same four rules, whether it is about noise, bath time, bedtime or a plan that changed.
One calm scene per page
No busy backgrounds, no visual clutter, nothing competing for a child's attention while they are already working hard to stay regulated.
Short, predictable words
A steady rhythm and gentle repetition, so a sensory sensitive reader can predict what comes next instead of bracing for it.
Soft, low-contrast colour
Warm, muted palettes rather than the loud primary colours most children's books use.
One gentle tool, never a lecture
Each story leaves your child one small strategy: a breath, a countdown, a first-then, a card to hold.
Purpose-built for neurodivergent readers
Made for autistic, ADHD and highly sensitive children
These are autism books for children and preschoolers, written for ages 3 to 6 and often loved for many years beyond. Many autistic children, including children of 10 and older, still find comfort in simple, predictable picture books like these. That is exactly who this series was built for.
How these books are made sensory friendly →Simple, uncluttered scenes
Every page shows one calm moment. No busy backgrounds or visual noise to overwhelm.
One story, one gentle tool
Each book covers a single everyday situation and gives your child one practical strategy to practise.
Predictable and reassuring
Warm repetition and a steady rhythm help anxious or sensitive readers relax into the story.
Start with the sense that gets overwhelmed
Sound, water, touch, taste, or the shock of something changing. Each book takes one trigger and walks through it slowly.
When Things Feel Too Loud
For noise sensitivity: parties, assemblies, hand dryers and busy supermarkets.
See the book →A Calming Sensory Story
A slow, calming sensory story for autistic and highly sensitive children with big emotions.
See the book →Bath Time Is Coming
For water, temperature and texture sensitivity at bath time.
See the book →Toothbrushing Time
For oral sensory sensitivity and the daily battle over the toothbrush.
See the book →When Bedtimes Are Hard
For the child whose body will not settle and whose worries arrive at lights-out.
See the book →When Plans Change
For children who need predictability and find a changed plan physically unsettling.
See the book →
Who these books are written for
Autistic children, children with ADHD, and highly sensitive children who are not diagnosed and may never need to be. Written for ages 3 to 6, and often loved well beyond that. Many autistic readers of 10 and older still choose simple, predictable picture books, and that is completely fine.
Big Feelings Are OK is written by Nicola Ahern, who makes the books she wanted for the hardest ten minutes of her own day.