Poem by 10 year old autistic child goes global and will be turned into an illustrated children’s book this year.
A 4-year-old poem, written by autistic Benjamin Giroux when he was 10, went viral. The poem was translated in more than 20 languages, and has been turned into songs.
Benjamin’s dad, Sonny, was brought to tears when he read the poem, written for a school assignment, and shared it on Facebook. Benjamin was overwhelmed by the response.
“I am odd, I am new” is a celebration of the differences in all of us and it touched so many people online that it will be turned into an illustrated children’s book coming in 2021.
“Now we have a child who is autistic, who was able to put his own words on paper and to be able to share that with the world - now kids will be able to read words from another child and see that they are not alone,” Benjamin’s father commented.