That Always Happens Sometimes – Perfect Picture Book Friday

Kids who are scattered, impulsive, wiggly, hypersensitive to textures (food and clothing), loud in some situations, etc. can also be hyper-focused, lovable, well-meaning, and in possession of hidden superpowers if we give them the opportunity to discover just what those superpowers may be.

Welcome to Max’s getting-ready-for-school morning routine.

Have you ever eaten your oatmeal
even though you know it's too hot
and then your mouth feels all peely?

That always happens sometimes. 

And why is there always something so interesting going on
outside the window?

I have a list of things to do each morning before school.
But I get...
                       distracted.
That always, always happens sometimes.

Oh, my. This is me. This is my son. The only difference between the two of us is that I have had many more years to develop coping skills that get me through my day.

Max goes through his day struggling to stay on task, but even lists don’t help. His body explodes during recess time. He talks like a robot while swinging. Other kids clearly think he’s weird. He can’t help having thoughts that run like river rapids through his mind—like forgetting to eat his lunch because he’s wondering about having a different face under his hair the way Lego figures do. Oh, my.

At his desk, Max runs through the possibilities of things he could be doing, things that have always happened sometimes, but at this moment—just this moment—he gets his worksheets done and hands them in “without incident.” I love how his sympathetic teacher recognizes his achievement with a wink.

But then comes the classroom challenge. Kids are split into groups to work on building the tallest structure they can, using only a scissors, 3×5 cards, and length of tape. The other two in Max’s group get frustrated and fight. But Max, distracting them with his robot voice, explains a way to make things work. I won’t go into the details here, but their group succeeds beyond their wildest expectations.

An unusual vertical gatefold (not shown here) reveals their towering success.

But it’s back to business-as-usual on the bus ride home, with Max losing and then finding his “Awesome Teamwork” sticker paired with another lost sticker on the bottom of his shoe. I laughed out loud when his first thought was “it’s nice when stickers have buddies.” And then once he’s home, he’s homesick for school. I just love this tender-hearted kid! And the ending, with Max imagining himself at the age where he’s too old to go to school, fits perfectly.

Many spreads start with Max’s “Have you ever…” questions. Most non-neurodivergent people would answer “no” to them, and it shows just how authentically the author understands this specific type of neurodiversity, especially as it presents itself in the elementary school age group. It spoke to me and our family’s struggles.

K-Fai Steele’s illustrations are detailed and humorous, like the tongue-in-cheek depiction of squirrels when Max is talking about being distracted, and the wildness of kids in general. Plus the way she changes perspectives to focus on specific aspects, like the tennis balls on the feet of Max’s chair in the classroom, feels quite fresh.

Activities:

Make a list of your own “Have you ever….” questions. Like Max, they should be things you’ve experienced and want to know if the same thing has happened to others. Compare your list of questions to other kids in your class. Are there lots of different/similar questions? How does this show you that people are similar and/or different in their ways of thinking and experiencing the world?

Talk about the list of Max’s “to dos” at home and at school. Do you think Max is a “bad” or “mean” kid? Do you think he gets distracted or messes things up on purpose? Why? Do you think the story shows how Max can’t really help the way his mind works? The things he does or says?

Watch Differing Minds’ two videos for kids about how the brain works. Part 1 and part 2.

Pair this book with A Normal Pig, written and illustrated by K-Fai Steele. Even though one book features humans and the other features pig characters, discuss how you can tell these two books are illustrated by the same person.

Title: That Always Happens Sometimes

Author: Kiley Frank

Illustrator: K-Fai Steele

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2024

Themes: neurodiversity, embracing differences, humor

Ages: Elementary school

For more perfect picture book recommendations, please visit Susanna Hill’s website.