Parents Corner | THRIVE | EDUCATION ASIA | 133
BOOK Review At 17, Dubai student Talia Rida has turned her own experience of ADHD into The Gifted Garden, a picture book that tells children there is no single right way to grow.
Talia Rida THE GIFTED GARDEN
B ehind a wooden door, overgrown with ivy and wildflowers, lies a garden where six friends each see the world a little differently. Milo has a busy mind. Tina has a steady heart. Polly has a voice that carries, Bruno reads the world his own way, Cami feels everything through sensitive senses, and Olli finds comfort in patterns. What sets The Gifted Garden apart is what it chooses not to do. None of these traits is treated as a problem to solve. The story never builds towards a moment where a character learns to fit in. Instead, each difference is shown as a strength, and the garden is richer for having all six. That message carries weight because of who wrote it. Talia drew on her own journey with ADHD, and the book reads as something written for the child she once was. It launched during ADHD Awareness
Month, but its reach is wider than any single diagnosis. Any child who has felt out of step with the classroom will find a friend here. The illustrations are lush and inviting, and the characters are distinct enough for young readers to spot themselves in. The language stays gentle and simple, which makes it an easy read-aloud for younger children and a useful prompt for older ones.
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