Kelley Donner

Little Jack Thomson's Magnificent Brain Kelley Donner

an uplifting story of personal triumph... Jack Thomson, a gifted, young boy who dreams of flying rockets to Neptune and building trains between planets is unaware of how truly intelligent he is. Truth be told, he's convinced he is slow because he can't read and write like everyone else he knows. After one awful day at school, Jack's mother comforts him by relating some inspiring stories of history's greatest minds and how they overcame learning disabilities and made a difference. As Jack listens, his spirits lift as he recognizes that someday he, too, can do something magnificent.

The Happy Heads Series was created with the belief that all children, especially those with special needs and autism, need to be able to relate to characters in picture books. Although no two children are alike, many books about special needs give the impression that all children with a specific disability or need are the same. As you know, this is far from the truth. One child may make eye-contact while another may not. One child may be sensitive to touch while another may love getting hugs. This is why each of the books in the Happy Heads Series tells the story of only one child and his or her challenges and triumphs. I personally hope that in doing so we can share a more realistic representation of special needs and autism and help raise awareness about important conditions that many children face such as sensory integration, obsessive compulsive disorder, dyslexia, and anxiety.

The second book in the Happy Heads Series, Little Jack Thomson's Magnificent Brain is about Jack, a young boy with autism, who dreams of doing great things but feels held back by his dyslexia. This is Jack's story.

Kelley Donner is the bestselling author of The Day the Lines Changed and has worked as an educator for over 20 years in various settings across the US, Germany, and the UK. She currently works full time as a writer/illustrator and is a mother to three sons. As an advocate for children with special needs and autism, she believes strongly that all children need representation in children's literature, especially picture books.

For more information on A Little Donnerwetter and the books in the Happy Heads series, including free lesson plans, story-time videos, and more, visit KelleyDonner.com.