El Deafo
Cece Bell
ISBN: 9781419710209
Crudely-drawn anthropomorphic bunnies inhabit this fictionalized biography of a child with partial hearing loss.
Cece Bell tells her early life story, and how she felt isolated and set-apart by her deafness and the resulting technical assistance devices (most of which were bulky and obvious) until her natural enthusiasm eventually win her friends, and some unintended side-effects of her hardware make her a school hero. The story doesn't linger - we get a quick fade to black after she begins to feel like she fits in, leaving the focus of the narrative on her feelings and difficult experiences as someone "different."
A very honest and insightful author's note at the end explains the variable degrees and social experiences of deafness and of Deaf culture, explains her own situation, and that this book isn't trying to speak to an overarching narrative or cultural situation - just her own confused feelings as a child.
Very cute, and a great addition to the graphic novel collection, as well as for anyone looking for diverse types of life stories and characters.
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