Cece Bell

After a bout of meningitis leaves four-year-old Cece Bell severely deaf, she must learn how to navigate the world with her bulky, cumbersome hearing aid (with a power pack worn on the chest!) and cope with the reactions of others to her deafness, not to mention adjust to it herself.

I loved this book so much I read it twice in two hours. It's a true story, with some names changed and a few childhood acquaintances combined into new characters. It's funny and sad and panic-inducing and show more heartwarming at the same time, not to mention instructive. Not only does it provide a potted history of hearing aids in the 1970s from a user's perspective, but also it shows the difficulties of being seen as an "other" or "special needs" person, especially when people offer help that is well intentioned but not actually useful. For that reason it comes highly recommended for readers of all ages. show less

Starting at a new school is scary, especially with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here, she’s different. She’s sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.

Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom but anywhere her teacher is in the show more school—in the hallway . . . in the teacher’s lounge . . . in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different . . . and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend? show less

A yam and a donkey engage in a hilarious exchange in which poor hearing and grammar mistakes lead to misunderstanding. The yam continually tries to correct the donkey's statement, "I yam a donkey," insisting that it should be "I am a donkey," but the donkey, who also struggles with subject-verb agreement, thinks that the yam is claiming to be a donkey himself. The yam's efforts to clarify the situation however, only lead to a sorry end for himself and his fellow vegetables...

Having seen I show more Yam a Donkey performed at story-hour numerous times, by two talented co-workers who take the parts of the yam and donkey, I can attest to the fact that it makes an immensely entertaining read-aloud selection. The surprise ending is worthy of a Jon Klassen story, while the colorful artwork, done in marker and acrylics, has a cartoon-like style that perfectly suits the tale unfolding. Recommended to anyone looking for humorous stories and/or picture-books that address grammar and proper pronunciation. show less

A brilliant and humorous graphic memoir on what it was like for Bell to grow up deaf. I appreciated how much I learnt about a deaf experience and some basic courtesies I could do when I'm speaking when speaking to anyone: face people directly, don't exaggerate mouth movements nor slow down nor raise volume.

I also appreciated how the common themes of childhood still resonated: feeling like an outsider, navigating friendships, insecurities, crushes. Now compound this with the public show more misconception of deafness and having to - in Bell's case, involuntarily - physically distinguish yourself (with a Phonic Ear) in public in order to be able to communicate with the speaking and hearing world. Compound this with the symbolism of the rabbits, the beautiful art style, the creativity of using the speech bubbles to visualise the deafness. And the result is a funny, thoughtful, and informative memoir that I can highly recommend to readers of all ages. show less