Book review: Echo Come Home

By Megan Rix
Penguin Books
Ages: 5-14

Reviewed by Kirsty, mum to Zach (9) and Miriam (5). Zach has enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome and degenerative hearing loss. He wears bilateral cochlear implants.

Zach

“This is a story about 11-year-old Jake - who is deaf and wears hearing aids - getting a hearing dog called Echo and the difference the dog makes to his life. It also talks about the difficulties he experiences including friendships, missing things in class, isolation and fear of sleeping in case the fire alarm goes off and he doesn’t hear it – all things many deaf children experience.

Jake is separated from Echo and much of the story is the dog’s adventures to get home to his owner. We read it as my nine-year-old son, Zach, is deaf and has a hearing dog (coincidently also called Echo) and there were so many parts he could relate to. The author herself is deaf. It’s a great story for upper primary to early secondary age children, or anyone who loves dogs! I’ve recommended it to many adults too. It’s also a great insight for my son’s friends to learn about some of the difficulties he has in being deaf without him having to tell them.”