My Whirling Twirling Motor

Charlie feels like he has a whirling, twirling motor running inside him...all the time! He doesn't WANT to have so much energy, but sometimes he just can't settle down.

When his mom wants to talk to him, he figures he's in trouble...but she has a surprise for him instead.

Includes a Note to Parents, Caregivers, & Teachers with more information on hyperactivity, AD/HD, behavior management, and helping children focus on the positives.

Merriam Sarcia Saunders, LMFT, is a psychotherapist who specializes in helping families of children with autism spectrum disorder, AD/HD, and learning disabilities. She lives in Northern California.

Visit @merriammftopens in new window on Twitter.

Tammie Lyon is an award-winning author and illustrator of numerous books for children, including Olive and Snowflake, the Eloise series, and the Katie Woo series.

Visit @tammielyon on Instagramopens in new window and Twitteropens in new window, and Tammie Lyon on Behanceopens in new window.

The story reinforces that his being overactive and impulsive is not intentional and does not make him bad. The young narrator eventually internalizes his parents' focus on his accomplishments, rather than his challenges, and he wonders what positive things he will do tomorrow...A must-have for young readers with any type of behavior difficulty and their caregivers.
—School Library Journal (Starred Review)

A great strategy to increase positive behaviors is through positive reinforcement. I can only imagine how low a child's self-esteem goes if they are only being told to fix the negative—they need to hear the good too.
—Books That Heal Kids

This is a wonderful tale of how a small boy feels with his hyperactivity and behavior and focuses on the positives of what he can do versus what he feels is he always doing wrong.
—Kids' Book Buzz

Lyrical, as it wonderfully captures the voice of a child with ADHD. Beautifully illustrated, bringing the reader directly into Charlie's world. This picture book, despite its simplicity and clarity, will help youth and families struggling with this disorder to understand the essential importance of understanding such children's experiences and providing them with positive feedback whenever possible.
—Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD, Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley; Professor of Psychiatry, UC San Francisco; Author, The ADHD Explosion and Another Kind of Madness

A sweet natured and practical reminder to focus children (and ourselves) on strengths, gratitude and success, even when (especially when) times feel challenging.
—Mark Bertin MD, author of Mindful Parenting for ADHD and How Children Thrive

In her delightfully illustrated book, Merriam Saunders shares the story of Charlie as he goes through his day with a whirling twirling motor in his brain that creates distractions and not-so-good outcomes. By tracking all the good things Charlie that did that day, his parents help Charlie feel good about himself and more confident about the days ahead. This story can help children with ADHD understand that while they cannot always control their whirling, twirling motors, they can be successful every day. Parents, caregivers and teachers will find the author's notes valuable as they navigate how to reinforce the positive and catch kids doing something good.
—Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, MCC, SCAC, BCC, Founder & CEO, JST Coaching & Training

It is common for some adults to view excess energy as negative and this book does a great job of focusing on the positive and coming alongside a child and helping them see their worth. I think this book is equally as important for an adult to read as it is for children to read. I recommend this book for elementary school libraries and for public libraries. If you have a child in your life who has excess energy, this book will help them feel good about themselves.
—Oregon Coast Youth Book Preview Center

From the perspective of the boy, you can sympathize with his difficulties and as he puts it, his "whirling, spinning, humming motor" that gets him into trouble. AD/HD can be a difficult concept for kids to wrap their heads around, so the metaphor of a constantly running car motor is an easier way to unpack the condition.
—BookTrib

A practical, sensitive depiction of a child with ADHD facing challenges and receiving affirmation...Compassionate, helpful, and wise.
—Kirkus Reviews