Book Nook - Robby the Dyslexic Taxi (Author Interview)

 I recently posted about  "Robby the Dyslexic Taxi and the Airport Adventure," a new children's book by Jonathan and Lynn Greenberg. This heartwarming story, written and illustrated by Jonathan, who is dyslexic, along with his mother Lynn, not only entertains but also celebrates neurodiversity, promotes empathy and inspires young readers to embrace differences.

I had a chance to interview the author to learn more.

 -Why did you write this book?

 

During COVID, when we had a lot more time on our hands, Jon, now an adult with dyslexia, discussed how he was treated less than as a child, even though we knew how intelligent he was. We then thought about how interesting it would be for us to create a story about a dyslexic taxi as we felt this was an underrepresented group that needed a voice. Jon worked on the illustrations, and then Robby, the dyslexic taxi, was born. From there, our story began to come together. 

 

-Why is it important for kids to have books that feature characters that are neurodiverse?

 

 When you look in a bookstore, you will see there are textbooks about dyslexia but no children’s books on the subject. And in general, there are very few books that have neurodivergent characters. Jon and I felt it was very important for children to see themselves in books as characters, as people living in the community and in the world solving problems. We feel very strongly that this is a community that needs to have a louder voice. Neurodiverse people need more representation in books, and Robby The Dyslexic Taxi and his friends at the Creative Cab Company will be characters that help move this narrative forward. 

 

-How can books help kids find their sometimes unexpected strengths?

 

When people see themselves as characters with strengths, there is a feeling of pride. Robby, the taxi, was faced with a dilemma, and instead of panicking, he figured out a way out of the problem. People who are dyslexic and others in the neurodivergent community often find that they may be faced with a difficult task and very often find ways to make their world work for them. So many dyslexics are incredibly creative and find people who help them navigate their world. 

 

We recently did a book signing, and a child came up to us and said he truly appreciated that we wrote a book with a dyslexic character because they had never seen that before and felt so happy to be included in a positive way.