El Deafo by Cece Bell

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Justification

El Deafo is Cece Bell's graphic memoir about growing up "severely to profoundly" deaf after being hospitalized with meningitis at the age of 4. After being fitted with a hearing aid and learning to read lips, Cece has to adjust all over again to a new school and make new friends. Enter the "Phonic Ear" which allows Cece to eavesdrop on her teacher wherever she is in the school, which makes her feel like a superhero.

Evaluation

Illustrations: El Deafo is a graphic novel written from the perspective of a girl rabbit named Cece. The illustrations are visually appealing without feeling overly childish. The colors are soft, bright, and aesthetically pleasing. This is a pleasant contrast to Cece's experiences, especially at the beginning where she feels so alone in her bubble. The mood of the entire story remains positive because of the bright illustrations, in spite of Cece's hearing loss and difficulty in finding a good friend.

Plot: Navigating school can be difficult, as Cece discovers when she begins school shortly after her hearing is compromised by a bout of meningitis. Add in moving to a new town, and you definitely have the recipe for a lonely kid. Cece feels as though her hearing aid prevents her from making friends, so she invents a Batman-like alter ego, El Deafo. El Deafo's mission is to find a best friend who is understanding and kind, which Cece eventually does through some trial and error.

Dialogue: As a person who was briefly hearing impaired as a child, it was so relatable to see the empty speech bubbles and the bubbles that didn't quite make sense. I loved seeing Cece's thoughts expressed, which helps a hearing reader understand that simple actions that are well-intentioned are often insulting and belittling to a hearing impaired person.

Conclusion

I love El Deafo for its relatability and the way it shares a lived experience with such sensitivity. It is a more than worthy addition to any collection.

Citation

Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2014). El Deafo. New York: Amulet Books.