Don't you just love my NEW mermaid illustration set?! It is now available as wall art from Gango Editions—shop it here! So fun, summery & fabulous!! Yay!
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Super Star Interviews: Cathi Mingus
Welcome to my monthly interview feature! I’m so excited to be interviewing all the fabulous artists, illustrators and designers I’ve meet over the years (both personally and virtually!) and sharing their artwork and experiences here on Bird Meets Worm. Look for a new interview on the first Tuesday of every month.
I’m thrilled to be chatting it up with the super star Illustrator, Cathi Mingus! I am a longtime fangirl of her hip, fun, fabulous artwork! Cathi graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and has been illustrating professionally for over 20 years. She started out doing acrylic-painted editorial pieces and then moved on to illustrating greeting cards, children's magazines and products. She still uses pencil and tracing paper to for sketches, but now finishes them in Photoshop. Her style has changed quite a bit from those early days. And she still loves to paint in her free time. You can view more of her artwork here!
 |
| Oh, no! Friend drama rama!! |
Q: You are the absolute queen of fun & fabulous tween & teen artwork for kids! Tell us a bit about what your favorite parts of illustrating for this unique market are? And what are the biggest challenges?
A: Thank you, Jane, for the compliment! I think it’s fun for me, because I get to tap into my inner 8-12 year old self—Ha! I would say that pretty much all my illustration work falls into that age range these days. I love creating characters (mainly girls) and tapping into who they are, their expressions and feelings, etc. It’s also important to look at current styles and trends for kids that age. So, I do a lot of online research looking at fashions and hairstyles, etc. I use Pinterest and clothing sites that cater to that specific group.
I guess the challenges are making sure the kids are looking a certain age. Also, keeping it fresh & hip enough for kids that age to be interested in the characters.
 |
| Forever Friends is totally forever fabulous!! |
Q: Your NEW book series, Forever Friends, with American Girl & Scholastic debuts this month! (Congratulations! You’re a total rock star!) Give us the scoop on this series: how it came to be, how it developed and your process for creating the artwork—you know, all the good stuff!
A: I had been speaking with a friend of mine who is a writer and we came up with an idea for a book series based on three best friends who get involved with animal rescue and have all kinds of adventures. I did some character sketches and a quick mock-up cover of what I envisioned the kids and our book might look like. I put it up on my website. An art director who I’ve worked with on other projects at Scholastic (and I send regular emails of my work to) saw the piece on my site and contacted me. It just so happens they were working with American Girl on a new series that had a very similar theme and she thought the look of my cover was the perfect style for the series.
I was then asked to do some sketches of the girls in the series and a mock-up cover for her to pitch to American Girl to see if they would want to use my art. After a lot of rounds of sketches and tweaks to the cover comp, I was given the series! I had been handed character descriptions from the beginning of what each girl looked like and their unique personalities. After that it’s just a lot of sketching and revising until I feel I’ve nailed it. Above all, the characters and the cover need to really connect with the kids who will—hopefully—pick it up at the bookstore and want to read the series.
My process is pretty simple—I hand sketch first using tracing paper, so I can quickly rework an image. Then I scan and color in Photoshop. I’m not an expert in that program at all. I’m sure there are a lot of short cuts, etc., but I manage to make it work for me.
Q: Let’s talk inspiration—who, what, where inspires you most as an illustrator?
A: I’d say I’m inspired by going into bookstores and looking at great books & beautiful illustrations. I really love looking at the middle grade/early reader type of books. I also get inspiration from looking at other artists on Instagram, etc., but it can be overwhelming sometimes. I can also get caught up in the comparison game…and no one wants to go there! Taking classes and trying new techniques and processes helps to keep me inspired overall to do better work and to not get stuck in a rut. I think I was inspired to get into the tween/teen girl market initially, because I raised a daughter. I loved the books and materials I used to buy her when she was that age.
A: I had been speaking with a friend of mine who is a writer and we came up with an idea for a book series based on three best friends who get involved with animal rescue and have all kinds of adventures. I did some character sketches and a quick mock-up cover of what I envisioned the kids and our book might look like. I put it up on my website. An art director who I’ve worked with on other projects at Scholastic (and I send regular emails of my work to) saw the piece on my site and contacted me. It just so happens they were working with American Girl on a new series that had a very similar theme and she thought the look of my cover was the perfect style for the series.
I was then asked to do some sketches of the girls in the series and a mock-up cover for her to pitch to American Girl to see if they would want to use my art. After a lot of rounds of sketches and tweaks to the cover comp, I was given the series! I had been handed character descriptions from the beginning of what each girl looked like and their unique personalities. After that it’s just a lot of sketching and revising until I feel I’ve nailed it. Above all, the characters and the cover need to really connect with the kids who will—hopefully—pick it up at the bookstore and want to read the series.
My process is pretty simple—I hand sketch first using tracing paper, so I can quickly rework an image. Then I scan and color in Photoshop. I’m not an expert in that program at all. I’m sure there are a lot of short cuts, etc., but I manage to make it work for me.
Q: Let’s talk inspiration—who, what, where inspires you most as an illustrator?
A: I’d say I’m inspired by going into bookstores and looking at great books & beautiful illustrations. I really love looking at the middle grade/early reader type of books. I also get inspiration from looking at other artists on Instagram, etc., but it can be overwhelming sometimes. I can also get caught up in the comparison game…and no one wants to go there! Taking classes and trying new techniques and processes helps to keep me inspired overall to do better work and to not get stuck in a rut. I think I was inspired to get into the tween/teen girl market initially, because I raised a daughter. I loved the books and materials I used to buy her when she was that age.
 |
| Ooo! Super goth cool! |
Q: Dish with us about your MOST favorite illustration project: one from your past and one from your present.
A: I don’t really think that there is any one project that stands out above the rest. I’ve been illustrating for over 20 yrs. and I’ve had a lot of fun assignments. I really loved working on the “Girls Guide to Middle School” with American Girl. I also illustrated a “Guide to Manners”, which has since been re-done by another artist. I did some really fun and “slightly edgier” covers for Scholastic a few years ago. They were part of their “Poison Apple and Rotten Apple” books for 4th to 6th graders. It was nice to get away from the color pink for a while!
Currently, I’m working on a children’s book about a mischievous fairy and her little dog companion. It’s challenging and fun to do a larger body of work like that. So, I am enjoying working on that right now. Any project where I’m given guidelines, but also lots of freedom to do my thing, is always my favorite. I still threaten to write my own story and create my own book series one day—Ha!
 |
| Everything is better with glitter—don't you agree?! |
Q: You’ve worked with all of the big four children’s book publishers (HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Scholastic and Simon & Schuster). What advice would you give fellow illustrators about promoting to and landing big fish clients like the big four?
A: First I would say, do good work! In this industry, with so much competition, it’s important to stand out somehow. Doing really interesting pieces, good characters, great compositions, etc. is first and foremost.
Pick a marketing strategy and be consistent with it. Don’t be fearful in contacting art directors via email or promotional materials. If you are interested in illustrating a book series, create a mock book cover and send it out as a promotion and put it on your website and/or Instagram, etc. You never know who might see it or the assignments that might come from it.
If you can do great hand-lettering and show that with illustrations, even better! I’m still tackling my hand-lettering.
Figure out who would really be your top dream clients and market to the top 10 or so. Connect with art directors via LinkedIn and other social media sites, if you can. Do specifically tailored illustrations to send that will land you the type of jobs you want. When I first started out as an illustrator, I think I wasted a lot of time sending postcards out to 250-300 companies off of a random list. I get better results now sending emails with a few jpegs of my work to a few carefully selected art directors at the companies I really want to work with.
 |
| Is there anything more fun than a fairy-ballerina-girlie?! |
Q: Describe your most perfect Sunday.
A: Wake up, drink coffee, take my dogs out for a walk (a Shih Tzu and a Boston Terrier). Weekends are a great time to catch up with my now-grown daughter. A leisurely breakfast followed by shopping and pedicures is always fun. There’s a great farmer’s market in my area that I like to walk to. I love taking home fresh flowers and jam. On rainy Sundays, I like to make some tea, put on some music and paint on canvas.
Thanks Jane for the interview :D
Thank YOU, Cathi, for catching up with us here at Bird Meets Worm! We are definitely big fans!!
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Super Star Children's Book Review: Maybe Something Beautiful
Welcome to the monthly children’s book review feature with a focus on diverse books here at Bird Meets Worm! My team of reviewers—Cara Chow, Joan Charles, Sharon Calle—and I are so excited to be championing books celebrating everything from gender diversity, people of color, the LGBTQ community to ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, people with disabilities and developmental challenges to controversial topics, unique family situations and anything and everything I did not include. It is to say we take a rightfully board view of diversity! We aim to shine a light on books that bring both familiar experiences to those who do not often see themselves represented in books and new experiences to those looking to expand their worldview. Here at Bird Meets Worm we believe in the power of story to build empathy and thus a better world for you and me and everyone. Look for a new review on the second Wednesday of every month.
MAYBE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
By F. Isabel Campoy & Theresa Howell • Illustrated by Rafael López
Picture Book (ages 4-7) • 40 pages
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt • 2016
ISBN 978-0-544-35769-3
Maybe Something Beautiful is a story about art, community, and transformation.
This brightly illustrated picture book opens with Mira, a young girl “with joy in her heart” who walks through her grey city passing out colorful, homemade art. Along the way, she greets a variety of neighbors from diverse backgrounds.
Mira meets a muralist, who encourages her to envision the city she wants to live in. She helps him transform the drab city walls into a series of colorful murals.
Inspired by this duo, the whole community soon joins in and it becomes a creative block party to the soundtrack of salsa, merengue, and bebop. Citizens from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds are united by one common cause. “Together they created something more beautiful then they had ever imagined.”
This picture book speaks to any child (or adult) who ever hoped for change. It inspires us to connect with others of all colors, races, and creeds who share our vision. Whether that vision is to beautify a neighborhood, stomp out bullying, or save open space…with power in numbers we can accomplish great things.
All families will benefit from having this gorgeous book in their collection. Children will learn about the ability of art to improve quality of life and inspire future generations of dreamers.
By F. Isabel Campoy & Theresa Howell • Illustrated by Rafael López
Picture Book (ages 4-7) • 40 pages
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt • 2016
ISBN 978-0-544-35769-3
Maybe Something Beautiful is a story about art, community, and transformation.
This brightly illustrated picture book opens with Mira, a young girl “with joy in her heart” who walks through her grey city passing out colorful, homemade art. Along the way, she greets a variety of neighbors from diverse backgrounds.
Mira meets a muralist, who encourages her to envision the city she wants to live in. She helps him transform the drab city walls into a series of colorful murals.
Inspired by this duo, the whole community soon joins in and it becomes a creative block party to the soundtrack of salsa, merengue, and bebop. Citizens from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds are united by one common cause. “Together they created something more beautiful then they had ever imagined.”
This picture book speaks to any child (or adult) who ever hoped for change. It inspires us to connect with others of all colors, races, and creeds who share our vision. Whether that vision is to beautify a neighborhood, stomp out bullying, or save open space…with power in numbers we can accomplish great things.
All families will benefit from having this gorgeous book in their collection. Children will learn about the ability of art to improve quality of life and inspire future generations of dreamers.
Buy this book:
Reviewed by: Sharon Calle
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Super Star Interviews: Katie Turner
Welcome to my monthly interview feature! I’m so excited to be interviewing all the fabulous artists, illustrators and designers I’ve meet over the years (both personally and virtually!) and sharing their artwork and experiences here on Bird Meets Worm. Look for a new interview on the first Tuesday of every month.
I’m pleased as pink strawberry lemonade to be chatting it up with the rockstar Artist/Illustrator, Katie Turner! I absolutely love her graphic style and her sweet & spicy sense of humor! Katie is a fellow T2 artist, and I’ve been a fan of her artwork for quite a long time. Katie is from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She got her BFA in illustration from Parsons School of Design and lived in New York for nine years until moving south to Nashville, Tennessee in 2015. She started her career in editorial, working for clients like The New York Times, The New Yorker & The Walrus and now specializes in children's illustration and licensing. She is represented by Tugeau2 for children’s work and Pink Light Design for licensing. You can view more of her artwork here!
Q: Your artwork is full of bold color, graphic shapes and fun characters! Dish with us about your creative process—concept to sketches to finished art—and how it all comes together.
A: Thank you! I actually don’t spend as much time sketching and concepting as some illustrators I know, especially a few that I work with at our shared studio here in East Nashville. I got an iPad last summer, and since then I’ve used it and the Procreate app for pretty much every illustration I’ve made. It really simplifies my process!
I will sometimes do a few thumbnail sketches before starting a piece, but sometimes I dive right in and do a really rough sketch directly into the app. Once I’m satisfied with the general composition, I’ll do a tighter sketch in another layer on top of that, and once I’m happy with that I’ll move on to the actual drawing.
I’ve found a way of working that I really enjoy - it’s almost a screenprinting style (or at least that’s how I think of it). I’ll choose 2-4 colors that contrast each other (at the most basic, usually a warm and a cool color) and then use those colors on multiply layers to build my piece. The way the colors mix together gives me about 7 colors to work with! Kind of hard to explain, but I hope this makes sense! The best part is when all the layers are almost finished and I can delete the sketch layer and put in all the finishing details and textures.
Q: You grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, went to art school in New York City and now live in Nashville, Tennessee. How have each of these places influenced and inspired you as an artist?
A: Growing up in Tulsa, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. I’m really lucky in that my parents always supported me in this goal, and that I went to a high school that had a good art program. I had an art teacher in high school that really let us work on the things we wanted to create, rather than having to follow a specific set curriculum.
Moving to New York and attending Parsons opened me up to a new world of experiences and people I wouldn’t have otherwise met. I had awesome teachers that I still admire and look up to to this day. I also got to meet working illustrators and learn what it was like to be a professional artist.
My house in Nashville is right next a park that has a lot of wooded trails, filled with deer and birds and other animals. I really feel like being able to go outside and be in nature regularly is awesome not only for my mental health but also my creativity! I love drawing flowers, plants and bugs most of all so it’s great. I also work at a studio in East Nashville (where two other T2 artists also work - Kayla Stark and Rebecca Green), and I love having a community of other illustrators to talk to and bounce ideas off of.
Q: Your fresh, bright illustrations have found a crossover between editorial work and surface design as well as children’s publishing work. Chat with us a bit about how you balance servicing these 3 very different markets while staying true to your own artistic voice.
A: I’ve been told before that my work has a somewhat more commercial feel, which honestly I don’t mind. I think that is one reason that I’ve been able to go between these these different markets. Obviously I’m often drawing very different things when it comes to editorial, licensing, and children’s work, but I think my style stays relatively consistent whether I’m illustrating a short story, a pattern or a newspaper article. I also tend to use the same general color palette a lot (hello pink and turquoise, my favorite colors!), which helps to tie all my work together.
Q: Give us the full scoop on your MOST favorite projects: one from your past & one from your present.
A: In the past, even when I was doing more traditional editorial work for newspapers and magazines, some of my favorite jobs were the illustrations I got to do for Cricket Magazine, which is a magazine for children. I think part of the reason I realized I wanted to work in children’s illustration more was from getting those jobs! My favorite current project is the children’s books I’m writing and illustrating myself. As a control freak, I love having full control of everything and really getting to go wild with my ideas and illustration.
Right now I’m working on a book about a gnome who loses her home and has to find a new one, traveling through the woods and meeting adventures along the way. It’s super fun!
Q: What would be your absolutely DREAM illustration project?
A: My dream illustration project would be to have my own books published! I really want to write a book about bugs — they’re one of my favorite subjects and favorite things to draw. A book filled with butterflies, ladybugs, snails and caterpillars sounds pretty perfect to me!
Q: Describe your most perfect Sunday.
A: My ideal Sunday would be a beautiful sunny day in the summer. It would start with an awesome diner breakfast with my husband, followed by a leisurely long walk through the woods, checking out all the cute little bugs, flowers and animals along the way. Since this is my ideal Sunday I’d also have some time to read on my porch, drink some iced tea, and then have ramen for dinner. Then we’d end the night at the movies where we’d gorge ourselves on popcorn and candy!
Thank you so much, Katie, for dishing about all things art & illustration with us here at Bird Meets Worm!! We think you’re the cat’s meow!
I’m pleased as pink strawberry lemonade to be chatting it up with the rockstar Artist/Illustrator, Katie Turner! I absolutely love her graphic style and her sweet & spicy sense of humor! Katie is a fellow T2 artist, and I’ve been a fan of her artwork for quite a long time. Katie is from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She got her BFA in illustration from Parsons School of Design and lived in New York for nine years until moving south to Nashville, Tennessee in 2015. She started her career in editorial, working for clients like The New York Times, The New Yorker & The Walrus and now specializes in children's illustration and licensing. She is represented by Tugeau2 for children’s work and Pink Light Design for licensing. You can view more of her artwork here!
 |
| Quick! Snap a pic of those butterflies before they flutter off, Bun Bun!! |
Q: Your artwork is full of bold color, graphic shapes and fun characters! Dish with us about your creative process—concept to sketches to finished art—and how it all comes together.
A: Thank you! I actually don’t spend as much time sketching and concepting as some illustrators I know, especially a few that I work with at our shared studio here in East Nashville. I got an iPad last summer, and since then I’ve used it and the Procreate app for pretty much every illustration I’ve made. It really simplifies my process!
I will sometimes do a few thumbnail sketches before starting a piece, but sometimes I dive right in and do a really rough sketch directly into the app. Once I’m satisfied with the general composition, I’ll do a tighter sketch in another layer on top of that, and once I’m happy with that I’ll move on to the actual drawing.
I’ve found a way of working that I really enjoy - it’s almost a screenprinting style (or at least that’s how I think of it). I’ll choose 2-4 colors that contrast each other (at the most basic, usually a warm and a cool color) and then use those colors on multiply layers to build my piece. The way the colors mix together gives me about 7 colors to work with! Kind of hard to explain, but I hope this makes sense! The best part is when all the layers are almost finished and I can delete the sketch layer and put in all the finishing details and textures.
 |
| Gimme gimme ice cream ice cream!! |
Q: You grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, went to art school in New York City and now live in Nashville, Tennessee. How have each of these places influenced and inspired you as an artist?
A: Growing up in Tulsa, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. I’m really lucky in that my parents always supported me in this goal, and that I went to a high school that had a good art program. I had an art teacher in high school that really let us work on the things we wanted to create, rather than having to follow a specific set curriculum.
Moving to New York and attending Parsons opened me up to a new world of experiences and people I wouldn’t have otherwise met. I had awesome teachers that I still admire and look up to to this day. I also got to meet working illustrators and learn what it was like to be a professional artist.
My house in Nashville is right next a park that has a lot of wooded trails, filled with deer and birds and other animals. I really feel like being able to go outside and be in nature regularly is awesome not only for my mental health but also my creativity! I love drawing flowers, plants and bugs most of all so it’s great. I also work at a studio in East Nashville (where two other T2 artists also work - Kayla Stark and Rebecca Green), and I love having a community of other illustrators to talk to and bounce ideas off of.
 |
| Hello, Butterfly! It's lovely to meet you! |
Q: Your fresh, bright illustrations have found a crossover between editorial work and surface design as well as children’s publishing work. Chat with us a bit about how you balance servicing these 3 very different markets while staying true to your own artistic voice.
A: I’ve been told before that my work has a somewhat more commercial feel, which honestly I don’t mind. I think that is one reason that I’ve been able to go between these these different markets. Obviously I’m often drawing very different things when it comes to editorial, licensing, and children’s work, but I think my style stays relatively consistent whether I’m illustrating a short story, a pattern or a newspaper article. I also tend to use the same general color palette a lot (hello pink and turquoise, my favorite colors!), which helps to tie all my work together.
Q: Give us the full scoop on your MOST favorite projects: one from your past & one from your present.
A: In the past, even when I was doing more traditional editorial work for newspapers and magazines, some of my favorite jobs were the illustrations I got to do for Cricket Magazine, which is a magazine for children. I think part of the reason I realized I wanted to work in children’s illustration more was from getting those jobs! My favorite current project is the children’s books I’m writing and illustrating myself. As a control freak, I love having full control of everything and really getting to go wild with my ideas and illustration.
Right now I’m working on a book about a gnome who loses her home and has to find a new one, traveling through the woods and meeting adventures along the way. It’s super fun!
 |
| Just straight up chillin'! |
Q: What would be your absolutely DREAM illustration project?
A: My dream illustration project would be to have my own books published! I really want to write a book about bugs — they’re one of my favorite subjects and favorite things to draw. A book filled with butterflies, ladybugs, snails and caterpillars sounds pretty perfect to me!
Q: Describe your most perfect Sunday.
A: My ideal Sunday would be a beautiful sunny day in the summer. It would start with an awesome diner breakfast with my husband, followed by a leisurely long walk through the woods, checking out all the cute little bugs, flowers and animals along the way. Since this is my ideal Sunday I’d also have some time to read on my porch, drink some iced tea, and then have ramen for dinner. Then we’d end the night at the movies where we’d gorge ourselves on popcorn and candy!
Thank you so much, Katie, for dishing about all things art & illustration with us here at Bird Meets Worm!! We think you’re the cat’s meow!
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Super Star Children's Book Review: El Deafo
Welcome to the monthly children’s book review feature with a focus on diverse books here at Bird Meets Worm! My team of reviewers—Cara Chow, Denise Holmes, Joan Charles, Sharon Calle—and I are so excited to be championing books celebrating everything from gender diversity, people of color, the LGBTQ community to ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, people with disabilities and developmental challenges to controversial topics, unique family situations and anything and everything I did not include. It is to say we take a rightfully board view of diversity! We aim to shine a light on books that bring both familiar experiences to those who do not often see themselves represented in books and new experiences to those looking to expand their worldview. Here at Bird Meets Worm we believe in the power of story to build empathy and thus a better world for you and me and everyone. Look for a new review on the second Wednesday of every month.
EL DEAFO
By Cece Bell
Graphic Novel/Memoir (8-12) • 248 pages
Published by Harry N. Abrams • 2014
ISBN 978-1-41-971217-3
My mother has a pretty sever hearing impairment. Growing up I couldn’t tell you how many times I heard her say “what” or how often she would mix up words like house and mouse. I was young and I didn’t understand why I had to repeat everything I said to her. I couldn’t put myself in her shoes, because I could hear. I learned to speak slower, mouth my words a little more dramatically and talk to her face to face. After reading El Deafo, I now have a better understanding of what she went through and I can sympathize with the frustration of never quite knowing what people are saying.
El Deafo is a witty and heartwarming graphic novel about the life of Cece Bell. It tells the story of Cece growing up in the 1970’s. She has to deal with going to a new school, making new friends (and sometimes frenemies!), awkward misread situations, first crushes—all while being the only deaf kid in her class.
Through Cece’s story we are given a glimpse into how she dealt with her impairment—from learning to be a detective of words, wearing hearing aids (the one she uses is called The Phonic Ear and it is enormous!), and how she handled the way people treated her. One way she coped was by seeing herself as a superhero—El Deafo.
El Deafo is a very entertaining read with a great message for teaching children about empathy as well promoting awareness for people with disabilities. “Our differences are our superpowers.”
Buy this book:
Barnes & Noble
Independent Bookstores
Reviewed by: Denise Holmes
EL DEAFO
By Cece Bell
Graphic Novel/Memoir (8-12) • 248 pages
Published by Harry N. Abrams • 2014
ISBN 978-1-41-971217-3
My mother has a pretty sever hearing impairment. Growing up I couldn’t tell you how many times I heard her say “what” or how often she would mix up words like house and mouse. I was young and I didn’t understand why I had to repeat everything I said to her. I couldn’t put myself in her shoes, because I could hear. I learned to speak slower, mouth my words a little more dramatically and talk to her face to face. After reading El Deafo, I now have a better understanding of what she went through and I can sympathize with the frustration of never quite knowing what people are saying.
El Deafo is a witty and heartwarming graphic novel about the life of Cece Bell. It tells the story of Cece growing up in the 1970’s. She has to deal with going to a new school, making new friends (and sometimes frenemies!), awkward misread situations, first crushes—all while being the only deaf kid in her class.
Through Cece’s story we are given a glimpse into how she dealt with her impairment—from learning to be a detective of words, wearing hearing aids (the one she uses is called The Phonic Ear and it is enormous!), and how she handled the way people treated her. One way she coped was by seeing herself as a superhero—El Deafo.
El Deafo is a very entertaining read with a great message for teaching children about empathy as well promoting awareness for people with disabilities. “Our differences are our superpowers.”
Buy this book:
Barnes & Noble
Independent Bookstores
Reviewed by: Denise Holmes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)