You Can’t Rush Friendships | Magbean! Children’s Book by Nat Bannerman

You Can't Rush Friendships

A gentle, neurodiversity-affirming story about friendship, boundaries, empathy and growing connections at your own pace.

Meet Magbean, a bubbly, big-hearted bean with lots of enthusiasm and some very big feelings.

When Magbean meets Magbroccoli, a quiet and thoughtful new bean on Beanpie Island, he is excited to become friends. But while Magbean is ready to jump straight into friendship, Magbroccoli needs more time and space.

Through their story, You Can't Rush Friendships explores what happens when two people approach connection differently and shows children that friendship doesn't need to be rushed.

With colourful illustrations, engaging characters and a gentle message about patience and understanding, the story creates opportunities to talk about respecting boundaries, recognising that other people may have different social needs, and allowing relationships to develop in their own way.

Why we chose it

• Created by a neurodivergent Australian author and illustrator
• Explores friendship without suggesting there is one “right” way to socialise
• Encourages respect for personal boundaries and different social needs
• Supports conversations about empathy, patience and understanding
• Celebrates individuality and being yourself
• Colourful, engaging characters designed for young readers
• Created from lived experience

Meet Magbean and Magbroccoli

Magbean is enthusiastic, curious and big-hearted. He feels things deeply, loves connecting with others and can sometimes move a little faster than the situation around him.

Magbroccoli is quieter and likes having the time and space to move at his own pace. He can become overwhelmed when people rush him or expect too much too quickly.

Their different personalities are an important part of the story. Neither bean needs to become more like the other for friendship to grow.

Great for conversations about

• Making and developing friendships
• Different ways of socialising
• Personal space and boundaries
• Patience
• Empathy and understanding
• Big feelings
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Respecting when someone needs more time
• Celebrating differences

Recommended for children aged 4–9 years.

About Nat

Nat Bannerman was a neurodivergent Canberra author, illustrator and creator who founded Zosimos Curra and created the Magbean! children's book series.

Drawing on their own lived experiences, Nat created the world of Magbean to celebrate diversity, inclusion, acceptance and kindness, and to help children feel seen, supported and valued.

Nat both wrote and illustrated the Magbean series, bringing their characters and the colourful world of Beanpie Island to life through their own distinctive creative vision.

You Can't Rush Friendships was the first book in the Magbean series.

Continuing Nat's legacy

Nat sadly passed away unexpectedly in May 2026.

With the support of Nat's mum, Deb, The AuDHD Store is honoured to help continue sharing Nat's books and the messages of kindness, inclusion and belonging they created.

The AuDHD Store does not take any profit from the sale of this book. The full $20 purchase price is returned to Nat's family.

By stocking the Magbean! books, we hope to help Nat's stories continue reaching children and families, and keep the colourful world they created travelling a little further.