Sign-In
Cart
Max and his Popcorn Brain: A Children's Picture Book About Tourette's and Tics for Kids Ages 5-9
Paperback
Series: Built for Big Things
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Aug 7 2026
Pages: 30
Weight: 0.21
Height: 0.08 Width: 8.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
Some children's brains go pop.
A Built for Big Things book.
Max loves three things: making his little sister laugh, banana sandwiches, and drumming. His brain is quick and fizzy and full of rhythm - but sometimes, without asking, it goes pop. A blink. A squeak. A shoulder that jumps all by itself. And in a very quiet school assembly, one pop changes everything.
Then Max learns his pops have a name. They're called tics, and they were never naughty and never chosen - holding one in is like holding in a sneeze: tricky, tiring, and it usually pops out anyway.
With a Pop Pass, movement breaks, and a pair of drumsticks, Max finds somewhere good for his pops to go. They don't go away. But they can become part of the beat.
A gentle, hopeful picture book about Tourette's syndrome, for children whose bodies move to their own rhythm - and for everyone who loves them. Max and his Popcorn Brain reassures young readers that tics are never naughtiness, and that a popcorn brain is something to understand, not something to fix.
Inside you'll find:
- A warm, affirming story about Tourette's, tics, and being understood
- Beautiful, full-page illustrations on every spread
- A My Popcorn Moments activity to help children notice and name their own pops
- A short note for grown-ups with practical, caring guidance
Perfect for ages 5-9, for classrooms and bedtime, and a thoughtful gift for any child whose body has a rhythm of its own.
Some brains pop like popcorn. That's how the rhythm gets in.
Also from
Ashlin, Robin
Mia and her Zigzag Mind: A Children's Picture Book About Dyslexia and Reading for Kids Ages 5-9
Ashlin, Robin
Paperback
Sam and his Spinning Thoughts: A Children's Picture Book About Anxiety and Worry for Kids Ages 5-9
Ashlin, Robin
Paperback
Poppy and her Tangled Threads: A Picture Book About Dyspraxia (DCD) for Children Aged 5-9
Ashlin, Robin
Paperback
Finn and his River of Words: A Children's Picture Book About Stammering and Stuttering for Kids Ages 5-9
Ashlin, Robin
Paperback
Oscar and his Quiet World: A Children's Picture Book About Autism for Kids Ages 5-9
Ashlin, Robin
Paperback
Theo and his Wandering Numbers: A Children's Picture Book About Dyscalculia and Numbers for Kids Ages 5-9
Ashlin, Robin
Paperback
Also in
Self Help
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women
Favilli, Elena
Cavallo, Francesca
Rebel Girls
Hardcover
You Got This!: Unleash Your Awesomeness, Find Your Path, and Change Your World
Penn, Maya S.
Hardcover
What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Problems with Anger
Huebner, Dawn
Paperback
The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World
Haidt, Jonathan
Price, Catherine
Paperback
The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Recipes That You'll Love to Cook and Eat
America's Test Kitchen Kids
Hardcover
The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World
Haidt, Jonathan
Price, Catherine
Hardcover
Sam's Neighborhood: How One Deaf Neighbor Transformed a Community - Includes More Than 20 ASL Signs
McCormick, Patricia
Hardcover
We Need to Talk about Cancer: An Important Book for Patients, Family, and Friends
Juneja, Sanjay
Neon Squid
Paperback
My First Mom and Daughter Journal: An Activity Book for Girls and Moms Together
Clemons, Katie
Paperback
The Girl's Body Book (Fifth Edition): Everything You Need to Know for a Healthy, Happy You!
Dunham, Kelli
Paperback
A Day in the Life of a Warrior: Travel Through Time with the Soldiers of History
Hinsdale, Emily
Hardcover
Eyes, Knees, Boundaries, Please!: My First Book about Private Parts and Consent
Playforth, Krupa Bhojani, MD
Hardcover
The Patriots and the Pox: George Washington's Battle to Save the Continental Army
Anderson, Beth
Hardcover
How to Be an Awesome Toddler: 50 Easy Rhymes to Make Growing Up Exciting and Fun!
Burk, Rachelle
Hardcover
Murphy's Law for Kids: 101 Life Principles for School, Friends, Big Feelings & Growing Up
Ray, Ethereal
Paperback
What to Do When You Worry Too Much, 2nd Edition: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety
Huebner, Dawn
Paperback
How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn Before You're Grown Up
Newman, Catherine
Paperback
Taylor & Travis Forever Ultimate Fan Edition Little Golden Book Biography: Bonus Wedding Planning Pages! Stickers!
de Las Heras, Nicole
Hardcover
The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs: 100+ Sweet and Savory Recipes That You'll Love to Bake, Share and Eat!
America's Test Kitchen Kids
Hardcover
A Quilt of Stars: Astronaut Karen Nyberg Stitches a Dream
Nyberg, Karen
McCallum Staats, Ann
Hardcover
Breathe a Rainbow (an Interactive Board Book): With 8 Calming Textures to Trace with Your Finger
Koon, Julie
Hardcover
Private Parts are Private: Learning private parts are private and what to do if touched inappropriately
Sanders, Jayneen
Paperback
My Bicentennial Summer: True Adventures from the Most Epic Family Road Trip of All Time
Neri, G.
Hardcover
Letter Tracing and Handwriting Practice Book: Trace Letters and Numbers Workbook of the Alphabet and Sight Words, Preschool, Pre K, Kids Ages 3-5 + 5-
Trace, Jennifer L.
Press, Diverse
Paperback
The Big Book of Birthdays: How Birthdays Are Celebrated Around the World
Feunekes, Anna Lena
Hardcover
A Place to Dance: How Richard Lamberty Brought Change to the Ballroom
Lamberty, Richard
Rosswood, Eric
Hardcover
Marie's Magic Eggs: How Marie Procai Kept the Ukrainian Art of Pysanky Alive
Wallace, Sandra Neil
Hardcover
The Boy's Body Book (Fifth Edition): Everything You Need to Know for a Healthy, Happy You!
Dunham, Kelli
Paperback
Solar Mamas: The Story of Sanjit Bunker Roy and the Grandmothers Who Became Solar Engineers
Nookula, Jyothi
Hardcover
Secrets and Surprises: Learning the difference between secrets and surprises
Sanders, Jayneen
Paperback
Time for Kids: Your Hot Job Field Guide: A How-To Book for Exploring Your Future Career Path
Singer, Allison
Time for Kids
Paperback
Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian American Activism
Wong, Kristina
Chao, Theodore
Wang, Anna Michelle
Hardcover
A Supreme Friendship: The Unlikely Bond Between Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia
Murphy, Debbie Rovin
Hardcover
The Girl Who Changed Little League: The True Story of Maria Pepe and Her Battle to Play Ball
Pepe, Maria
Patrick, Jean L. S.
Hardcover
Wild about You (a Nat Geo Baby Board Book): A Sweet Board Book about Baby Animals
Fego, Emily
National Geographic Kids
Hardcover
A Doctor at Heart: The Story of Groundbreaking Scientist and Teacher Vivien Thomas
Schoettler, Joan
Hardcover
Indestructibles (the Original): Al Bebé Le Encanta La Biblioteca/Baby Loves the Library
Workman Publishing
Paperback
How to Survive an Apocalypse: The End of the World Doesn't Have to Be the End of the World
Hardy, Cameron
Coonradt, Coby
Hardcover
The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II (Scholastic Focus)
Fleming, Candace
Hardcover
Indestructibles (the Original): Sesame Street: Let's Take a Bath!: Chew Proof - Rip Proof - Nontoxic - 100% Washable (Book for Babies, Newborn Books,
Pixton, Amy
Sesame Street
Paperback
A Smart Girl's Guide: Friendship Troubles: Dealing with Fights, Being Left Out & the Whole Popularity Thing
Kelley Criswell, Patti
Paperback
The Woman Who Heard the Sun and Other True Stories Overlooked by History
Padnani, Amisha
New York Times
Hardcover
A Million Revolutions: The True Story of a Girl Who Cycled Across India
Thomas, Garen
Raj, Suhasini
Hardcover
When Someone Very Special Dies: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief
Heegaard, Marge Eaton
Paperback
Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike for Library Reading Equality
Green, Michelle Y.
Gottesfeld, Jeff
Hardcover