Book review: Proud to be Deaf

By: Ava, Lilli and Nick Beese
Available from Amazon
Ages: 5-10

Reviewed by Elizabeth, mum to Hannah (6) who is profoundly deaf.

Hannah

"I was interested in the book Proud to be Deaf because I thought my daughter Hannah and I could enjoy it together. The book tells Ava’s story, explaining what it’s like to be a deaf seven-year-old and living with deaf parents. Ava attends a mainstream school but it isn’t clear whether she has speech or not. I think her hearing aids only provide her with the ability to hear loud sounds but not to access speech, I might be wrong.

I enjoyed reading it and learnt some interesting facts but there were not enough pictures to keep Hannah’s attention and there was too much text for her. The book is broken down into easy-to-read snippets of information, but I would say it’s aimed more at children over eight.

The book has a very positive and happy vibe to it, and at the back it teaches you some simple but useful British Sign Language (BSL). I would recommend this book because I enjoyed reading it and I think Hannah will enjoy it when she’s older."