El Deafo by Cece Bell

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Figure 1. El Deafo book cover (2019).

Evaluation of Book

The memoir, El Deafo, by Cece Bell provides an inside view of how her life progressed after she became severely deaf at age four. Her emotional state along with key events that majorly impacted her from age four to fifth grade are played out in a graphic novel with cartoon style art. Cece learns to accept her need for hearing aids and even think of herself as a superhero, El Deafo. She also learns to like herself and allow others to be her true friends.

Because El Deafo is a graphic novel, the dialogue is central to the story. The interesting part is that the reader only reads what Cece says, thinks, and hears. So, if a tv show is playing and Cece only hears weird sounds, then those sounds show up in the dialogue bubble. And if she hears nothing, the word bubble is empty. Also, if things are hard to hear, then the print color changes to light gray to show that she can barely hear the person. Another great part, the dialogue shows what Cece really thinks about events and wants to tell people along with what she actually says. Therefore, the dialogue gives the reader an insight into the life of Cece as a deaf person.

Another great aspect of the book is the colorful cartoon style illustrations that reinforce the text. At the start of the story, Cece wears a bathing suit that she loves, which she explains and can be seen. Also, when she receives her Phonic Ear, a picture of it strapped onto Cece gives information about each aspect of the device, naming all the parts on the side. This helps the reader know the size, shape, and parts of the device that allows Cece to hear her teachers. Plus, most of the pictures also show what is happening in the dialogue or information provided by a narrator. Therefore, most of the illustrations relate to the information provided.

However, the illustrations also do a wonderful job at extending the plot. When Cece daydreams about becoming El Deafo, the pictures show her soaring high in the air with a confident facial expression. Also, when Cece falls for the new neighbor, Mike Miller, her eyes become hearts when she experiences romantic feelings about him. However, the facial expressions during moments without dialogue typically tell more about Cece’s thoughts during events, allowing us to know more about her reactions to what happens in the story. All of these examples, plus many more, aid in the development of the plot.

Response

El Deafo by Cece Bell relates to my life in an abstract way. This semester I am teaching a moderately deaf student. When he is in my class, I am required to use the class microphone that creates a surround sound experience. This allows him to hear me when I am talking. And after reading this book, my views on how I interact with him were reinforced. I make a point of not raising my voice, to talk normal when chatting with him, and to look at him when having one-on-one conversations without the mic. However, this book also gave me pointers like making sure the closed caption is on when I show a clip during class. This had not occurred to me because I thought the sound would be the same as my voice coming from the speakers. However, I will provide them from now on for all of my classes just incase someone needs the extra assistance of reading while listening.

Conclusion

El Deafo by Cece Bell touches your heart while also allowing you to smile and learn new things. It is the ideal book for third graders on up and will appeal to everyone that enjoys a heartwarming story. Out of four stars, I give this book three and a half.

Citation

Bell, C. (2014). El Deafo. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

Willis, C. (2019). El Deafo book cover (photo). Retrieved April 28, 2019 from

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17d9gMw3KlmjL5tQoLepc5ubmTSSfcv-W/view?usp=sharing