Just Like Me: 40 Neurologically and Physically Diverse People Who Broke Stereotypes

An anthology of 40 inspirational figures who are neurologically or physically diverse.

The world is full of people who are a little different. Our uniqueness makes us who we are.

＂We are all special. We are all unique. We are all ’different; not less’.＂ - Louise Gooding

This is a collection of the true stories of 40 inspirational figures from around the world, all of whom are physically or neurologically diverse. Each story includes struggles and triumphs, a motivational quote and information on each condition.

Reflective of our diverse society, this book features Simone Biles, Selena Gomez, Temple Grandin, Warwick Davis, Daniel Radcliffe, Stephen Hawking, Greta Thunberg and many more.

Louise Gooding (Author)
Louise Gooding lives in Switzerland with her partner and three children. After years working in children’s entertainment, Louise channeled her creativity into books. Having a neurodiverse family herself, Louise wrote this book to increase the visibility of disabled and neurologically different people in children’s books.

Melissa Iwai (Illustrator)
Melissa Iwai is the author and illustrator of Soup Day and Pizza Day. She has illustrated more than 30 picture books, including Thirty Minutes Over Oregon by Marc Tyler Nobleman, an Orbis PictusHonor Book for Outstanding Nonfiction 2019 and Junior Library Guild Selection. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son.

Caterina Delli Carri (Illustrator)
Caterina was born in Puglia, Italy, and moved to Rome and Turin to study Visual Arts and Set Design at The Academy of Fine Arts. Caterina’s works are inspired by nature, old photos and childhood memories. She lives in the Tuscan countryside where she works on books, magazines and drawings for clients worldwide.

Dante Hookey (Illustrator)
Dante Hookey is a queer, autistic, non-binary illustrator-author from England who lives in Texas. After graduating with a BA(Hons) in Illustration from Falmouth University, their work has included a BBC children’s show and gifts with LUSH. Dante Hookey’s evocative work uses color, character, nature and magic to tackle themes of trauma, mental illness and navigating a neurotypical society.

Angel Chang (Illustrator)
Angel Chang is an illustrator from Taiwan who lives with high-functioning autism symptoms. Angel’s clients include Chronicle, Macmillan Publishers, TheWashington Post and National Geographic. Her first illustrated picture book, Most of the Better Natural Things in the World, was longlisted in World Illustration Awards 2020.