What inspired the story?
Understanding Oscar was inspired by Jade’s amazingly beautiful middle son and the challenges she and her husband have faced in helping their other children understand and accept Oscar’s different way of interacting with the world.
In the early days, after receiving Oscar’s autism spectrum diagnosis, Jade searched high and low to find a good resource to help her explain what autism was to Oscar’s older brother, along with why it affects different people in different ways.
After choosing to read a book that resonated best to their family – one where the child was non-verbal – Banjo sat at the end in silence. He was thinking. Processing. And then the questions came. This sparked the first of many open discussions about autism and Jade felt it was the first time Banjo really started to understand his little brother. He then asked Jade to read the book again!
Having seen first hand how valuable education can be in helping children like Oscar be understood and accepted for who they are by their family, peers and society as a whole, Jade wanted to create a children’s book from her own experience. By doing this, she aims to reach out and help all families with children who have special needs and to allow others to understand the difficulties but also the great joy and love that life can bring.
Jade Chapman
Jade Chapman is a first-time children’s book author, passionate about spreading awareness of childhood autism and promoting acceptance for kids who are different.
She has written this book from her own experience in order to reach out and help all families with children who have special needs and to allow others to understand the difficulties but also the great joy and love that life can bring.
She resides in Sydney, Australia with her husband, three young boys and family dog.
Naya Lazareva
As a child, Naya Lazareva decided to become an illustrator of children’s books. She graduated in Book Illustration from the Printing and Publishing department at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Since then she has been mastering her watercolour technique, hoping to shape people’s perception of the world from a very young age.
Extremely grateful for being given the opportunity to illustrate Understanding Oscar, Naya confirms not only was it important to her to help tell this story, but the final product came out lovely and soulful.
She currently lives and works in Kiev, Ukraine.
Understanding Oscar is supported by COG Branding with brand, design, marketing and digital services. COG Branding is an independent brand, marketing and technology agency located in Sydney, Australia. They operate as a technology and small business consultancy and provide typical brand and marketing agency services. The COG Branding group has a key focus to ensure Australian small businesses and brands have the best advice, knowledge and support that increase their rates of survival, growth and performance. COG Branding believe it’s their mandate to continually push hard and assist Australia in becoming more innovative, competitive and prosperous.