
Reach for this book when your child starts noticing a loved one experiencing a change in their health or abilities, particularly hearing loss. It is a vital resource for navigating the transition from what used to be to a new way of connecting. The story follows a young girl and her mother as they navigate the mother's progressive hearing loss, shifting their shared world from one of sounds to one of visual beauty and sign language. This gentle narrative focuses on resilience and the enduring strength of the parent-child bond. It is developmentally perfect for children aged 4 to 8, as it validates the sadness of change while providing concrete examples of how love remains constant. Parents will appreciate how it models proactive adaptation, turning a potentially scary medical shift into a journey of shared discovery and new communication tools like ASL.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewThe book addresses progressive disability (hearing loss) with a direct and realistic approach. It is entirely secular, focusing on the emotional and practical shifts within a family. The resolution is deeply hopeful, emphasizing that while the mother's hearing cannot be 'fixed,' the relationship is thriving through adaptation.
A 6-year-old whose parent or grandparent has recently started using hearing aids or has received a new medical diagnosis, who needs to see that 'different' doesn't mean 'broken.'
This book can be read cold. Parents may want to look up a few basic ASL signs (like 'I love you') to practice with their child after reading. A parent might choose this after their child asks, 'Why didn't you answer me?' or 'Why do we have to look at you when we talk now?' or if the child expresses fear about a parent's changing health.
Younger children (4-5) will focus on the bright illustrations and the 'secret code' of sign language. Older children (7-8) will better grasp the emotional weight of Laia's initial worry and the concept of sensory substitution.
Unlike many books on deafness that feature a deaf child, this focuses on a child's perspective of a parent's disability, filling a crucial gap in representation for children in caregiving or adaptive family roles.
Laia and her mother share a deep bond rooted in sound, from morning songs to the rhythm of the city. When her mother begins to lose her hearing, their daily routines must change. The story follows their transition as they learn American Sign Language (ASL) and find new ways to 'listen' using their eyes and hearts, eventually attending a concert where they experience music through vibration and sight.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.