Lyra’s Strings is the debut children’s picture book by neurodivergent, author-illustrator Zara James.
 
It is a sweet and imaginative story about two children navigating the tricky path of new friendship. Tangled with an appreciation for hidden beauty and wrapped in a love for individuality, uniqueness and nonverbal communication, Lyra’s Strings is joy for all to read.
 
Ollie is loud and full of big, beautiful energy and Lyra is shy and doesn’t speak! When an unusual magic curls and coils its way into their day, it helps them to discover a truly precious friendship. Join Ollie on their journey of frustration, curiosity, discovery, bonding and understanding, all wrapped in the wonder of nature. Together we will see how incredible it is that we each view the world differently.
 
Author and illustrator Zara James is autistic and has ADHD, OCD and anxiety – She is passionate about creating beautiful, inclusive and relatable picture books that celebrate our unique selves and represent our wonderfully diverse world.
 
Gently woven within these pages you will find: A non-verbal character with no mention of why they don’t speak, a character with no assigned pronouns, a child full of fizzy, loud, enthusiastic energy and one that prefers quietness, distance and solo play. There’s a repeated use of safe clothes (Lyra loves her long sleeved stripes!), examples of protective behaviours over special objects, noise sensitivity, routine, stimming, nonverbal communication and an illustration including now-next visual prompts. There is also a heartfelt celebration of special interests and the joy of collecting. You will notice references to lining up items and the act of info-dumping and enthusiastic sharing. Zara hopes to normalise all of this and more within children’s books.
 
Grab yourself a signed copy here!