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Puffin will publish a landmark inclusive story exploring selective mutism by Dan Freedman and illustrated by Kajsa Hallström.
Ben Horslen, fiction publisher, and Jordan Tyson, commissioning editor, acquired world rights to I Am Lenny Brown directly from the author. It will publish in June 2023.
The synopsis says: “Lenny Brown is eight years old and doesn’t talk, except to his mum and his dog Rocky. When Lenny and his mum move house, Lenny faces brand new challenges. With the help of a motivational diary, a football and the encouragement and acceptance of those around him, Lenny goes on a journey in which he grows into his own skin and learns to love himself and be proud of who he is.”
The publisher said the book is highly illustrated throughout “for a fully integrated read which is ideal for reluctant or less confident readers”. It is aimed at Key Stage Two readers and explores the twin themes of high sensitivity and selective mutism, rarely depicted in children’s books.
The book marks a new direction for Freedman, best known as the author of the Jamie Johnson football series (Scholastic). As well as drawing on his own childhood and his extensive work in schools, Freedman has worked with several authenticity readers and speech therapists to ensure that conditions and identities outside his own lived experience have been represented with accuracy and respect.
Freedman said: “This story has always been inside me but it wasn’t until I actually began writing it that I understood why. When a speech therapist suggested I read The Highly Sensitive Child (HarperCollins) my whole life started to make sense. I thought to myself: this is me... I am Lenny Brown.
“Lenny’s periods of intense anxiety, his feeling that he doesn’t have a voice, his being overwhelmed by his environment, wanting to make friends but not being sure how – all echoed my own story. Lenny has helped me to understand myself better and feel that it’s OK to be me. I hope he can do the same for all the children who are like him, as well as developing compassion and understanding in others. Because, as Lenny’s mum says, ‘we are all as unique as our fingerprints’.”
Horslen added: “The whole Puffin team was instantly charmed by Lenny Brown, a little boy with a huge heart, who just needs an extra dash of confidence to find his voice. This gorgeous inclusive story offers rarely-seen representation of kids who are affected by selective mutism and anxiety, and with its engaging, reader-friendly design will appeal strongly to both confident and less confident readers.”