The story has a great, satisfying ending, too.Ĭece Bell is a great illustrator and writer, and this is a book I definitely recommend to families.

Cece is extremely likeable, and older kids and tweens will most likely love this book. The story is very funny, but also sad and serious sometimes. The illustrations are fantastic (all of the characters are rabbits, which is something I've never seen in a graphic novel before). I found this book at a book store when I was around ten and since then, I have read it at least once every year. Bell did a great job of sliding in jokes and humor alongside the beautiful illustrations and important information to create an engaging graphic novel that I would recommend to children and adults.Before I say anything else, I want to say that El Deafo is one of the best graphic novels I have ever read. Sure, the stakes aren’t high and the plot doesn’t have twists and turns, but the characters are enjoyable and lovable, and the art style is absolutely adorable. While reading El Deafo, I was reminded of the nights and days as a child where I wanted to stay up all night to finish reading a good book. Truly, anyone of any age could find themselves walking away with a different perspective from this book. Beyond this, the themes of self-confidence, empathy, and friendship are relatable for almost everyone. Bell created a space for dialogue and learning around the deaf/hard of hearing community, and has allowed for a marginalized community to have a larger voice in culture and learning. Because of the over exaggerated mouth movements that accompany this bad habit, Cece finds it much more difficult to lip read what the person is saying.

It helps dispel beliefs and misunderstandings towards the deaf community, such as the common mistake that speaking slowly and loudly makes your speech more understandable. Due to this, it is an important read for all ages, but especially for children. This book is semi-autobiographical, loosely based around the life of the real Cece (the author and artist).

Through her frequent fantasies as the superhero “El Deafo,” Cece learns to speak up and to love what makes her different and unique. However, she slowly begins to become more confident and assertive, realizing that her “disability” can be used as her own super power. Cece struggles with self-esteem issues throughout the book, worrying about how others view her and her hearing aids, and fearing that she will always be looked at as different and inferior. With the help of basic hearing aids, she is able to comprehend her environment, and the graphic novel grapples with the difficulties and triumphs of Cece’s interactions with her world. El Deafo tells the story of Cece, a young rabbit who loses her sense of hearing at a young age.

El deafo cece