September is National Deaf Awareness Month. Looking for titles to share that celebrate the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in your classroom or library? Discover critically acclaimed and award-wining titles below, plus a spotlight on Butterfly on the Wind by Adam Pottle and Ziyue Chen.
Spotlight on Butterfly on the Wind
From award-winning writer Adam Pottle and illustrator Ziyue Chen comes Butterfly on the Wind, a magical picture book about a Deaf girl who creates a butterfly with Sign Language and sends it on a journey around the world.
Listen as Adam Pottle and Ziyue Chen discuss bringing this deeply personal book to life and how books like Butterfly on the Wind can help change the narrative around the deaf community. The transcribed interview is available on the following link.
Books to Read and Share
Butterfly on the Wind by Adam Pottle; illustrated by Ziyue Chen
Ages 3-6
A magical picture book about a Deaf girl who creates a butterfly with Sign Language and sends it on a journey around the world.
“This story shows that the slight wind created by signing may seem small but can subtly transform the world… The brightly colored illustrations lovingly capture the characters’ signing as butterflies swirl across the pages.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A buoyant story.” —Publishers Weekly
Cesaria Feels the Beat by Denise Rosario Adusei; illustrated by Priscila Soares
Ages 3-6
In this powerful and inspiring picture book, a deaf girl stands up for herself and takes off her shoes while dancing at her Carnival performance so she can feel the music through her bare feet.
★ “A vibrant, poetic celebration of Deafness, dance, nature, and self-advocacy.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “A lovely book about a child who experiences the world in an atypical way that readers will readily understand.” —Booklist, starred review
★ “Invites everyone into a celebration of dance, life, and being true to oneself.” —School Library Journal, starred review
★ “A Deaf child performer self-advocates in this triumphant Carnival-set work.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
All He Knew by Helen Frost
Ages 10-14
A 2021 Scott O’Dell Award Winner
A Society of Midland Authors Winner in Children’s Fiction
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year 2021
A novel in verse about a young deaf boy during World War II, the sister who loves him, and the conscientious objector who helps him. Inspired by true events.
“This must-have is an instant classic of historical fiction. . .Written in eloquent free verse and sonnets, it’s an excellent poetry-teaching tool as well.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“Frost’s smooth, burnished verse, ranging from free verse to sonnets, unfolds the story nimbly….an absorbing story of a boy and his family oppressed by circumstances but, rewardingly, finding a way to rise above them. Extensive notes explore the history of conscientious objectors and the relative on whom the story is based.” —The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books, starred review
“Frost brings Henry’s experiences sharply into focus through her spare, evocative storytelling.” —Booklist
