Review by Karl Verhoven

When Frankie’s friend asks “What word describes you best?”, Frankie’s reply is “Not normal”, following up with “I’m pretty sure my brain is broken”.

Frankie is eleven, and as she explains in a touching first person narrative, she’s aware she doesn’t fit in with people around her, but isn’t sure why that is. Also difficult to explain is why it is that she doesn’t seem to be matching expected growth levels. Adults will recognise Frankie as being on the autistic scale, not least because the back cover notes it as a condition experienced by creator Aoife Dooley, but that isn’t the overall focus and this isn’t a book aimed at adults. An obvious target is children whose experience of the world mirrors Frankie’s, but the greater value will be if read by children who know someone like Frankie, giving them more understanding, as the sympathy levels run high.

That, however, shouldn’t give the idea that Frankie’s World is a misery memoir for children. At its best, such as an early description of Frankie’s teacher Miss Crackle, it’s sparkling, and the messages are embedded in a succession of enjoyable comedy scenes and drama applicable to so many children. Frankie is bullied at school, and she’s curious about her father, who she’s never met.

Dooley keeps the drawing simple to ensure the words have weight, but it’s expressive in conveying how people feel, and she underlines how common it is for people to have conditions that aren’t “normal”. Frankie’s best friend Sam is confined to a wheelchair, another classmate needs to use an inhaler, and Frankie keeps meeting other people proud of not being considered normal.

In case there are adults reading this to children, Dooley includes some jokes they’ll pick up on that children won’t, such as a mother’s plastic surgery, but children will be well able to take what’s necessary. Assorted plot threads come together in unpredictable ways, Frankie is delightful throughout, and serious concerns are addressed in a very readable package. Tolerance and understanding are the messages, and how much better would the world be with more of that?