The stories

Going to the Dentist

$5.99 · all four children included

The whole visit, walked through before the day arrives: the waiting room, the chair that leans back, the bright light that doesn’t hurt, the little brush that spins and tickles. Every sound an office makes is named in advance, so none of them is a surprise.

My First Day at a New School

$5.99 · all four children included

The first day from the front door to the ride home — a new teacher, a cubby, the parts of the day in order, and who to ask when you need help. It is honest that not knowing anyone yet is something that changes over days rather than minutes.

Getting a Haircut

$5.99 · all four children included

The cape that snaps at the back of the neck, the cool spray of water, scissors that snip, clippers that buzz and tickle, hair falling that does not hurt. It also gives permission to ask for a break, and the words for asking.

Going to the Doctor

$5.99 · all four children included

A routine checkup step by step: the scale, the cuff that squeezes and lets go, the stethoscope that is cold for a second, ears and eyes and throat. It deliberately does not describe a shot, so it stays literally accurate for appointments that don’t include one.

Going to the Grocery Store

$5.99 · all four children included

The parking lot, the bright lights and beeping scanners, the freezer aisle that is genuinely cold, the list, and wanting something that isn’t on it. There is a page on asking for a break, and a treat page you can edit to match what your family actually does.

Going to a Birthday Party

$5.99 · all four children included

A gift that is for someone else, arriving somewhere loud, games you may join or not join, and cake someone else blows the candles out on. The page about leaving early is there on purpose: a party a child can leave is a party a child can attend.

Riding the School Bus

$5.99 · all four children included

Waiting at the stop, the doors folding open, the steps up, the driver whose job is to keep everyone safe, and finding a seat and staying in it. Drop a photo of the real bus stop into the editable file and it becomes your child’s book rather than a book.

Eating at a Restaurant

$5.99 · all four children included

Waiting to be seated, the menu, choosing one thing, telling the server, and waiting for food — which is the longest part. The book never promises the food will be liked; it says what will happen.

Flying on an Airplane

$5.99 · all four children included

Packing and knowing everything comes home again, bags going away on a belt, security with shoes and bins, the narrow aisle, engines that get loud, ears that feel funny, landing. Start reading two or three weeks out — airports reward rehearsal more than almost anything else.

Going to the Library

$5.99 · all four children included

What a library is for, why voices are quieter and what a quiet voice actually sounds like, choosing books, and the beep at the checkout desk. It ends with books being borrowed rather than kept, which is the part most first visits stumble over.

A Fire Drill at School

$5.99 · all four children included

What happens during a fire drill, from the loud alarm to walking back inside: leaving books at the desk, walking in the hallway, and standing in the class spot on the grass while the teacher counts everyone. My teacher, who uses a wheelchair, leads the line, and Sam, a classmate who talks with an AAC device, waits alongside.

A Substitute Teacher

$5.99 · all four children included

The day a different grown-up teaches the class: why the regular teacher is sometimes away, the plan she leaves, the picture schedule that stays in its usual order, and telling the substitute your name. Sam, a classmate who talks with an AAC device, says good morning, and the substitute says it back.

Eating Lunch in the Cafeteria

$5.99 · all four children included

The long tables, the noise, sliding a tray, saying a lunch number, and asking for help opening a carton. Ear defenders or the end of the table help when the room gets loud, and Sam, a classmate who talks with an AAC device, sits alongside and says, “I like apples.”

Recess on the Playground

$5.99 · all four children included

Choosing what to do outside, asking “Can I play?”, taking turns on the swings, and finding the class line when the whistle blows. Sam, a classmate who talks with an AAC device, says “My turn,” and the two take turns on the slide.

School Picture Day

$5.99 · all four children included

The note that comes home, the gym set up with a backdrop and two lights, waiting in line, the comb that’s a choice, the click and the flash, and the pictures coming home weeks later. It never promises a smile — only what will happen.

Going on a Field Trip

$5.99 · all four children included

The permission form, the bus ride, small groups with a grown-up helper, a big echoey museum, looking versus touching, and the ride back to school. Sam, a classmate who talks with an AAC device, is in the same group and says “Look” at the big gear wall.

A School Assembly

$5.99 · all four children included

The whole school in the gym: where the class sits, why it’s loud, the lights and the microphone, clapping or keeping hands still, and asking for a quieter spot. Sam sits alongside in the same row, and the teacher who uses a wheelchair stays close by.

Asking My Teacher for Help

$5.99 · all four children included

Not being sure is part of learning: raising a hand, saying “Help, please,” holding up a help card, and waiting a turn while the teacher helps someone else first. Sam, a classmate who talks with an AAC device, asks for help with two taps, and the teacher, who uses a wheelchair, comes over.

Working in a Group

$5.99 · all four children included

What a group is, how groups get picked, a louder room, holding on to an idea and when another one is picked instead, and cleaning up together at the end. Sam, a classmate who talks with an AAC device, says “I like the frog,” and it goes on the poster.

When the Schedule Changes at School

$5.99 · all four children included

Why a part of the day sometimes changes — rain, the gym in use, a visitor — and how the picture schedule moves to match it, plus the words for asking “What is next?” The teacher who uses a wheelchair moves the card so the schedule matches the new plan.