• Age: 3 to 5
• Grade: p to k
• Reading age: 3 to 5

Laurent doesn't remember to raise his hand and he prefers to call plants by their proper Latin names, much to the frustration of his classmates. Most days, Laurent doesn't notice how different he is from the other kids in his grade, but some days, he does. On those days, he finds refuge under the shade of the Salix babylonica (willow tree) or in the school counselor's office or at his very favorite place in the world: the local botanical gardens. When his class goes on a field trip to these botanical gardens, Laurent’s knowledge of the flora and fauna show the other kids that his unique interests are really something special.

Laurent marches to the beat of his own green thumb in this gentle picture book about a boy on the autism spectrum.

Stéphanie Deslauriers is an author and psychoeducator. Since 2012 she has published fifteen books and written extensively for Format familial on Télé-Québec. Stéphanie is the stepmother to a teenage son who is on the spectrum, and she speaks extensively about autism spectrum disorder. The French edition of this title, Laurent, c’est moi!, was nominated for the Governor General’s Award, the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award and the Harry BlackYouth Award. Stéphanie lives in Quebec.

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GENEVIÈVE DESPRÉS illustre des albums jeunesse. Elle a gagné le prix Applied Arts Illustration Award à quatre reprises. Ses illustrations sont tendres et cocasses. Geneviève habite à Saint-Lambert sur la Rive-Sud de Montréal.

GENEVIÈVE DESPRÉS completed a degree in Industrial Design at the Université de Montréal in 1992, but, around 1997, she decided to pursue her first passion, drawing. She turned to illustration, completing a number of contracts in the fields of educational publishing, advertising, editorial, and children's literature. She lives in Saint Lambert, Quebec.

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