The Boy with the Umbrella on Sunny Days: Big Questions for Brave Minds, (Paperback)

"We are all in a certain sense in touch with one another's madness," R.D. Laing once wrote. "We just forget to speak its language."

This tender storybook draws inspiration from Laing's radical idea: that what we often label as "strange" or "wrong" in others might be another kind of truth-a truth we haven't yet learned to understand. In a world where conformity is often mistaken for wellness, this book invites young readers (and the grown-ups who love them) to pause and listen more deeply.

At its heart is Remy, a boy who carries an umbrella on sunny days, not because he's silly, but because brightness overwhelms his senses. And then there's Alia, a classmate who asks a brave question: "What's it like inside your head?" From that moment on, everything begins to change-not just for Remy, but for the whole classroom.

This gentle, watercolor-illustrated book reminds us that empathy doesn't begin with fixing-it begins with listening. Sometimes the greatest acts of kindness come from simply making space for someone else's way of being.

If you've ever felt different, or loved someone who sees the world differently, this story is for you.