Eating isn't always easy-especially when your brain and tummy don't agree!
Meet my little buddy, a kind, curious, and unique kid who's learning to navigate his relationship with food and his body. His tummy is a sensitive sidekick who feels every flavour and texture to an incredible extreme, while his brain is constantly managing input and trying to prevent power surges or blackouts. Together, they try to find calm one bite at a time - in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming.
With gentle rhymes and compassionate humour, Tummy, Too explores what it's like for children with sensory sensitivities or neurodivergent experiences to navigate the tricky world of food. From the smell of breakfast bacon to the feel of mushy strawberries, Shawna Marie's tender storytelling and Beverly Devakishen's expressive, inclusive art remind readers that every body-and every brain-eats differently.
Inspired by the author's lived experience as an autistic and ADHD adult, this debut picture book celebrates body autonomy, empathy, and self-understanding, offering comfort and validation to children who struggle with eating-and to the grownups who love them.
Devakishen, Bev: - Bev Devakishen is a Chinese-Indian illustrator from Singapore who has been creating digital art for over five years. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, and she enjoys exploring a range of mediums. Beverly loves illustrating children's stories with unique perspectives and rich, vibrant colour palettes. She is passionate about representation in children's books that carry meaningful messages and reflect the diversity of young readers. She has also worked as a researcher in both academic and non-profit settings and believes that sharing knowledge can empower marginalised communities. Beverly holds a degree in Literature from the University of East Anglia and a Master's from the National University of Singapore.
Marie, Shawna: - Shawna Marie is a Métis writer with roots among the Dene Tha', Dane-zaa and Woodland Cree Peoples of Treaty 8 Territory, and a deep, spiritual connection to nature. She is a bilingual, autistic, and queer artist and cultural theorist with a degree in Modern Language and Cultural Studies, who has explored over fifteen countries (and worked in three). Shawna applies an empathetic and humanistic approach to everything she creates by drawing both from her travels and her lifetime's experience with children-as a babysitter, a live-in nanny, a tutor, an English teacher, a professional face painter, among other things. Above all else, she is a proud Auntie to some of the world's most unique and lovable humans: the children of her sister and her chosen sisters alike. "Tummy, Too" is her first book.
