“What a pleasant surprise to find a pre-publication copy of Milly’s Mind in my inbox! It was a real treat to open the file and discover this lovely book by Colin Armstrong, whom, I learned, had been cheered on while writing by his eleven-year-old daughter, Milly. Colin explains that his inspiration was indeed his daughter, whose love of life touches all those she meets.

Immediately what first captured my attention were the illustrations. These delightful watercolors by Jo McGivern, gracing each page, invited me into the story with their simple ease and charm. Even before I began reading, I was enamored with this uncomplicated visual richness of the book – oh my, those illustrations!

Next the text! Not only because of its rhyme scheme (apparently at Milly’s insistence) but because I heard it while reading, as a song! Upon more readings – I have read this book repeatedly over the last several weeks, what came to mind was that this is indeed an “ode”. Curious as to why that occurred to me, I looked up the definition of “ode” to make sure that I knew why I thought that, and discovered that the most common meaning of an ode is a “poem written to praise a certain subject and to explore the writer’s feelings about that subject”.

Yes, Milly’s Mind is an ode by a father about his beloved daughter!

He writes:

Your energy and passion do not go unnoticed.
In fact, it’s the opposite, you put life in focus.

This world will be shaped by your heart and your soul.
And will become so much kinder, so much more whole.
Your beautiful spirit makes all our days lighter.
You’re you for a reason, you make this world brighter.

While being swept sweetly along in rhyme, the reader learns about Milly’s experiences from her autistic perspective, as well as how she relates and interacts with family and friends, neighbors and even strangers she encounters. Obviously, this book was written with an important educational commitment in mind; to continue to nurture society’s understanding and acceptance of neurodiverse people. These pages give voice to a young person whose voice isn’t always heard, and celebrates her existence for exactly who she is. It comes through loud and clear.

Yet I was moved deeply and personally in an additional way. I experienced an even broader function beyond the celebration of differences: The book Milly’s Mind is quite simply a beautiful expression – a song, an ode – of a father’s unconditional love and devotion to his daughter. Adoration for his daughter is freely, skillfully and unabashedly sung by Colin Armstrong. It is a bold model for all parents, and a gift that all children on this planet should be so blessed to have.

This book is a pure treasure.”