Wonderfully You

Have you ever felt like you were too much — or like nobody could see the real you?

In a magical zoo full of extraordinary creatures, Capi the capybara wanders freely, looking at the world with his whole open heart. While every other animal stays in their enclosure, Capi moves between them — unhurried, patient, and quietly attentive to things others miss.

When he discovers Monty the mantis shrimp hiding in his tank — overwhelmed by a world blazing with colours only he can see — Capi doesn't try to fix him or rush him. He simply sits beside the glass and looks closer.

And when he notices Axel the axolotl, whose permanent smile has everyone convinced she's perfectly happy while something very different lives in her eyes, Capi does the one thing nobody else has done. He stays until she feels safe enough to say what's really true.

Wonderfully You is a rhyming picture book for children aged 4-8 that gently explores sensory sensitivity, emotional masking, belonging and the transformative power of being truly seen. Told through three of nature's most extraordinary animals — a mantis shrimp who sees sixteen colours, an axolotl whose smile is written into her biology, and a capybara who belongs everywhere and nowhere — this is a story for every child who has ever felt different, too much, or not quite enough.

The repeated phrase "not different, not broken, just wonderfully you" builds through the book until it turns around completely — and Capi himself finally receives what he has always given to others.

Perfect for:

• Children experiencing sensory sensitivity or anxiety
• Children who mask their emotions or struggle to express how they feel
• Classroom and library collections on emotional literacy and belonging
• Parents looking for a book that speaks to children AND moves the grown-ups reading it

The Wonderfully You series features Capi the capybara in every book, meeting new creatures facing different challenges. Each story carries the same quiet truth — that being truly seen changes everything.