Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind

Fiona Carswell is the mother of two boys – one autistic and the other neurotypical – and lives in East Lothian, Scotland.  By day, she is a publicist in the Arts & Books sector, promoting (other people’s) books, literary prizes, book festivals, cultural projects, venues and events. In her spare time, Fiona writes occasionally for the Scottish press – mainly the Scotsman – and enjoys flying the flag for Autism Awareness Week each year, giving readers a glimpse into a world they may know very little about and which can be as hilarious as it is challenging, as life-affirming as it is sometimes heart-breaking, and as brilliantly, heart-burstingly bananas as it can be serious, overwhelming and utterly terrifying. The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind is Fiona's first book.Yu Rong has degrees in Chinese Painting and Contemporary Art from Nanjing Normal University and in Communication and Design from the Royal College of Art, London. Deeply versed in traditional Chinese art, she has won numerous international awards including the BIB Golden Apple and the Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award.Yu Rong’s books include Shu Lin’s Grandpa, with Matt Goodfellow, which was shortlisted for the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal 2022 and The Visible Sounds, with Yin Jianling, shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration 2023.  Yu Rong lives in Cambridgeshire.

"What a kind, beautiful book.  The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind addresses autism with tact, wit and positivity. Recommended for anyone directly affected by autism – and for everyone else too." David Mitchell author, and translator of The Reason I Jump (now an award-winning feature film) "Beautifully illustrated...will help other children to be more understanding and accepting of autism." Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures "This book should be on every library shelf and in every classroom." Elizabeth Laird "What a joyous, beautifully written book that so lovingly and accurately describes the world of an autistic boy. I absolutely loved it." Chitra Ramaswamy, author and journalist "A wonderful story exploring friendship and the joy that comes from embracing each other's uniqueness.  Sensitively told, with joyful illustrations, this story captures both what it is like to be autistic and what it is like to be friends with someone with autism.  A powerful, heartfelt story which deserves to be read by many, many children.” Catherine Ward, author of The Emerald Forest "A joyous slice-of-life story where the lives of two different boys overlap exactly where friendship begins." Bruna de Luca, author of I’m Not Cute, I’m Dangerous