Christina Giuffré launches new book Dear Unique One

Christina Giuffré has launched her newest book Dear Unique One which is the third in the Dear Friend series and celebrates neurodiversity. The book has been created in collaboration with PossAbilities Gibraltar. Christina Giuffré spoke to Features Editor Gabriella Ramagge about the book.

Why did you write this book?
I wrote Dear Unique One: Let’s Embrace Neurodiversity because I wanted to create something that truly celebrates difference, not just acknowledges it.

So many people grow up feeling like they need to fit in or be ‘fixed’ in some way. I wanted this book to gently challenge that and offer a different message. You don’t need to change who you are to belong.

This book builds on the heart of Dear Friend and Dear Little One, but it speaks more directly to neurodivergent individuals and the people who support them. It’s about creating a safe, joyful space where different ways of thinking, feeling and experiencing the world are not only accepted but valued.

At its core, it’s a reminder that you are worthy, just as you are.

What was your inspiration?
The inspiration came from both my personal journey and the people around me.

I was first introduced to autism at a young age through my cousin. He isn’t able to communicate verbally, yet he has this beautiful personality that speaks in ways words sometimes can’t. For a long time, I thought autism only looked like that.

Then later, someone close to me shared that they are autistic and I would have never known. That really stayed with me. It reminded me how much we don’t always see.

Through my work and lived experience, I kept coming back to the idea that we need to listen more, assume less, and create spaces where people feel safe to be themselves. Watching children connect so naturally while reading Dear Unique One at the library reinforced that for me. Connection doesn’t need to look one specific way to be real.

That’s what inspired the story. It’s about understanding, acceptance and seeing the beauty in different ways of being.

How long or how much work did the project take?
It’s been a bit of a journey across all three books.

I wrote Dear Friend: A Warm Hug for Your Mind & Soul in 2024 and it was released on 5 December 2024. Not long after that, I wrote Dear Little One: You’re Perfect, As You Are, which came out in September 2025.

What’s interesting is that I had actually written an early draft storyline for Dear Unique One before Dear Little One, but I didn’t take it further at the time. Then the collaboration with PossAbilities came about, and that felt like the right moment to bring it to life. We soft launched it in December 2025.

So while each book came together quite naturally in its own way, the series as a whole has evolved over time, with each step building on the last.

This is your third book. How has it been building this series and has the story taken you anywhere unexpected?
It’s been such an exciting and emotional journey, and definitely not something I fully expected.

When I first started, it was just one book. But it’s grown into something much bigger. It’s become a series, and honestly, more of a movement than just books.

What’s been really interesting is how the storytelling has evolved. In the early stages, I was exploring neurodiversity more from the outside, through the characters observing differences around them. But over time, it became much more real and personal.

Now the characters live those experiences. Sheepito has dyslexia. Sunny experiences autism, ADHD and noise sensitivities. And through that, what’s really grown is the relationship between them. There’s this unconditional love, support and acceptance. The kind of friendship we all want, whether we’re children or adults.

I’ve loved seeing how children connect with the characters. They just get it. And something that really surprised me was how much Dear Friend resonated with teenagers as well. That cross-generational connection has been really special.

It’s also grown beyond the pages. There’s a really lovely community forming on Instagram, where people share, connect and support each other. And now we’re bringing that into everyday life through the app.

The Dear Friend app is like a pocket companion. It gives people a simple, gentle way to check in with themselves each day, whether that’s through mood check-ins, journaling, affirmations or small reflective moments. It’s designed to feel calming and accessible, especially for people who might feel overwhelmed by more complex tools.

So it’s no longer just something you read and put down. It’s something you can come back to, interact with, and carry with you. That’s probably been the most unexpected and exciting part, seeing it evolve into something people can actually live with, not just read.

With April an Autism focus month, how important was it to you to bring awareness through your writing?
It’s incredibly important to me, but for me it goes beyond awareness.

Awareness is a starting point, but what really matters is acceptance.

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and it’s a chance to reflect on how we move from simply recognising differences to truly embracing them. I’ve learned that language matters, that experiences vary, and that there isn’t one way autism looks.

What if the voices we don’t always hear are the ones with the most to teach us?
That question has really stayed with me. This book is about creating space for those voices. It’s about helping people feel seen, whether they communicate in typical ways or not, whether their differences are visible or invisible.

If we can shift even slightly towards more understanding, more curiosity, and more acceptance, I think that’s where real change happens.

And if a child or an adult reads this and feels a sense of belonging, then that’s everything.