Author: Docherty, Helen

Picture storybooks

Published on 30 September 2025 by Watkins Media Limited (Moon + Bird) in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 32 pages
219 x 260 x 11 | 386g

Join Melodie on a day out with her family as she gets overwhelmed with horrible smells, sights, sounds, tastes and textures. This is a heartwarming story that follows Melodie as she visits the pungent market, noisy public bathroom, overwhelming restaurant that serves mushy vegetables, too brightly-lit mall and more. As she gets progressively more overwhelmed and upset, join her as she taps her nose and moves in circles to calm herself down, before returning home and relaxing in her safe space.

Inspired by the author's daughter's experiences of sensory overload, this gentle rhyming picture book explores what a child with sensory issues experiences. With vibrant, stunning illustrations from Taylor Barron, this story ensures that children aged 4–8 who also experience sensory overload can feel represented, and neurotypical children can be introduced to why their friends and family sometimes get overwhelmed. At the back of the book, there is an informative spread on sensory overload.