A sweet new picture book that teaches kids about autism in the most natural, joyful way possible.

Picture this. A little boy walks up to you, waves his hand with a big smile, and says, “Hi, my name is Tim. What’s yours? Oh, I like that name!” Just like that, you’ve made a new friend. And that’s exactly how this beautiful picture book begins.

Just Like You: Tim’s Story, written by Terri Geerinck, is a children’s book about a boy named Tim who has autism. But here’s the thing, the book doesn’t start by talking about autism at all. It starts by talking about you.

“Do you like playing on the beach? Building sandcastles so big the top is hard to reach? Me too! I’m just like you!”

From the very first page, Tim pulls the reader into his world. He talks about the beach, digging in the sand, and building giant sandcastles. He runs, plays catch, reads books in the yard. He rides his bike through the woods looking for toads. He helps his mom bake cookies and pies. He loves hero TV shows, comic books, and dreams of going to the moon one day.

Sound familiar? That’s the whole point.

By the time Tim mentions he has autism, a few pages in, you already know him. You already like him. You already see yourself in him. And that makes all the difference. Instead of feeling like a lesson, it feels like a friend opening up to you.

Why Parents & Teachers Love This Book

The book doesn’t talk at kids about autism, it talks with them. Tim speaks directly to the reader, asks questions, and waits for answers. It feels like a real conversation, not a classroom lecture. That’s a rare thing in children’s books about special needs.

The illustrations are warm, bright, and full of life, the kind kids want to look at again and again. And the writing is simple, rhyming, and fun to read out loud. Whether you’re a parent reading it at bedtime or a teacher reading it to a class, it holds everyone’s attention from start to finish.

At its heart, this is a book about friendship. Tim is shy, yes. Loud noises bother him. Big crowds are tough. But he still wants to play. He still wants a friend. And he asks, quietly but hopefully, “Think you could give it a try?”

That one line might just be the most powerful in the whole book.

If you have a child in your life, whether they are on the autism spectrum or not, this book is worth having on the shelf. It teaches empathy without being preachy. It builds connections without being complicated. And it reminds every child reading it that no matter how different we seem, we are all, in so many ways, just like each other.

Get Your Copy Today

Just Like You: Tim’s Story is available now. Grab it from the official website or pick it up on Amazon