Reviewed by Dannielle Viera
Bowen’s brain is like a cerebral bullet train – it races from one idea to another at breakneck speed, occasionally pausing at thoughts that other people never ponder. And the older he gets, the more different he feels from the world. ‘Until one day, when being different was exactly what was needed,’ Bowen discovers that his incredibly busy mind allows him to come up with ‘solutions that no one else had thought of’.
In the gentle hands of Paul Russell, Bowen’s tale is told with great perception and sensitivity. Whenever Bowen is asked a question, his mental floodgate opens wide. As readers are carried from one notion to another by the capricious current, they develop a deep empathy for this neurodiverse character. The story is awash with playfulness and poignancy, while the clever ending is a well of hope for all children who wonder when they will fit in.
Nicky Johnston’s lively illustrations mirror the busyness that is bubbling away in Bowen’s brain. Vignettes burst across some pages, while other spreads feature full-bleed images with plenty of dynamic details for small eyes to explore. Bowen’s messy bedroom is perhaps the most powerful image in the book. It visually reflects the protagonist’s tangled thought patterns, but it also represents the ‘normal’ rooms of many kids – this encourages readers to see Bowen as not so dissimilar to them.
Ideal
for five-to ten-year-olds who are trying to find their place in the world, The Incredibly Busy Mind of Bowen
Bartholomew Crisp creates a safe space in which to probe the concepts of
diversity and potential. Evocative text and engaging illustrations ensure that readers
will return to the story again and again, gleaning new insights each time.
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