Dreams and Potential, a Review of Michelangelo the Diver

A new children's book Michelangelo the Diver by Dana Commandore (writer) and Damian Elwes (illustrator) happened my way this week. Michelangelo is a character in the story, but the book's writer is mother to a real world Michelangelo, who, like the Michelangelo of the story, loves the ocean and all the diversity it holds. And that real world Michelangelo, as stated in the book's dedication, has a diagnosis of autism.

Like both Michelangelos, I too love the ocean and all the diversity it holds. I grew up on the wild coast of Maine, the extreme north eastern point of the U.S. against the Atlantic, and many of my fondest childhood memories are of exploring the shore. I'm also highly fond of dreams--both dreams in the sense of what is experienced during sleep and in the sense of aspirations. Both the ocean (symbolic of the unconscious) and dreams (in both senses) figure predominantly in the story.

What doesn't figure in the story is the word "autism." So while I wanted to blog a review of the book in this space, I kept wondering--does this book have an autism theme? Outside of the dedication and the obvious connection between the two Michelangelos, is this book at all about autism? I flip-flopped--on one hand, it's a really universal story about dreams and the potential to reach them. On the other hand, I was left with a strong sense because of the dedication that there was a specific message too: dreams don't have to end because of an autism diagnosis.

The thing is, there are some themes that simply are universal--it doesn't matter whether you're a parent, a child, a person with a disability, a person without a disability, a person labeled autistic, or a person with no label at all. The neat thing about universal themes is that they are, well, universal: they apply to nearly everyone. New dreams can replace old, and sometimes the spark of inspiration for a new dream comes from an unexpected source, be that as rarefied as the ocean of sleep or as concrete as "Andy the Diver" giving a presentation at the aquarium.

And also, Elwes' illustrations--yummy little paintings of sea creatures and under-sea-scapes! (Did I mention I have a great love for the ocean and all the diversity it contains?)

This book is a fun story for kids, but it, like the ocean, has depths that make it age-appropriate reading for adults as well.