In this episode, Roxanne Chester and Gina Soldano-Herrle talk about co-Picture Book Peep Member Christine J. Ko’s book, Sound Switch Wonder. Christine’s book creates a bridge toward an unhearing experience told through the POV of a boy with cochlear implants (like her son, Owen Whang, also her co-author).
We were definitely ambitious in this first episode of The Curious Compassionate. 🏋️
We wanted to tackle the idea of using picture books as bridges between different experiences with radical empathy and curious compassion. A bit much for 22 minutes, no?
“That’s where the magic happens–with that empathy.” -Roxanne Chester
With that said, this is really a prelude of what’s to come here.
Sound Switch Wonder gives the reader a brief peek into the daily life of someone with cochlear implants. We experience the day through the protagonist’s eyes and emotions.👀
Roxanne and Gina also spoke about the endless loop curiosity can create within us.
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“It’s kind of a loop. It starts with that curiosity which fuels us to learn more. Then as we learn more it goes to that empathy of wanting to experience and build that bridge and really see those different perspectives. And as you see that, you see how much you do not know, at least in my experience. And you want to learn more again and again.” -Gina Soldano-Herrle
They also touched on words and the power within them.
Words are how many of us make sense of the world we live in, create order, establish understanding. And yet, sometimes we don’t get to choose the words that others prescribe for us.
We talk about the terminology Disabled vs. Persons with Disabilities. Whole worlds can be contained within the nuance of the words we choose to use when shaping our experiences and identities. Words can shape policies and create the infrastructure of the world we live in, but they are not infinite.
All of us here at Picture Book Peeps cannot thank Dr. Krista Aronson enough for offering a clip for our inaugural episode. Her work in the children’s literature world to increase diversity and transparency in the books we read and have access to is invaluable.
Stories connect us. They have since the dawn of time and whether our stories are written down, spoken aloud, or conveyed through pictures, the feelings they evoke within us are universal.
So, before we give you the list of book recommendations and head off to your library/bookstore of choice, we’ll leave you with this final thought.📚📚
“Books [work] as bridges deepening our self understanding and our understanding of the world. [Such as] Where’s our place in the world and how do we think about those like us who’ve come before?” - Dr. Krista Aronson
Useful Links:
Christine J. Ko’s podcast, “See, Hear, Feel”
Dr. Krista Aronson and her tool Diverse BookFinder
Gina Soldano-Herrle’s podcast episode about wonder walls
Disability Debrief by Peter Torres Fremlin
Further Reading📚📚📚📚:
Autism:
A Day with No Words by Tiffany Hammond and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove
Bitsy Bat School Star by Kaz Windness
A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey and illustrated by Mika Song
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca and illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Sensory Processing Disorders:
Too Much! An Overwhelming Day by Jolene Gutierrez and illustrated by Angel Chang
Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino and illustrated by Carmen Mok
Hard of Hearing and Deaf:
Sound Switch Wonder by Christine J. Ko and Owen Whang, illustrated by Katie Crumpton
Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language by Joanna Que and Charina Marquez, illustrated by Fran Alvarez, translated by Karen Llagas
Inclusive of Many different abilities:
Come Over to My House by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin, illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett
Everything, Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor and illustrated by Rafael López
Anxiety:
Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival
Will It Be Okay? by Crescent Dragonwagon and illustrated by Jessica Love
Olivia Wrapped in Vines by Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve, illustrated by Sandra Dumais, translated by Charles Simard
Speech Difference:
I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott
Mobility Difference:
All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed by Annette Bay Pimentel and illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
Ali and the Sea Stars by Ali Stroker illustrated by Gillian Reid
Mighty Mara by Carina Ho and Jesse Byrd, illustrated by Mónica Paola Rodriguez
What Happened to You by James Catchpole and illustrated by Karen George
Learning Difference:
Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts
A Walk in The Words by Hudson Talbott
OCD:
Malik's Number Thoughts: A Story about OCD by Natalie Rompella and illustrated by Alessia Girasole
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Organizations for Further Support:
Other organizations to check out:
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Have a book for us that isn’t listed above? Or you have a topic you want us to explore on the show, leave a comment below.
“You’re never too old to read a picture book and learn about someone’s experience.” -Picture Book Peeps
Books as Bridges with Sound Switch Wonder by Christine J. Ko and Owen Whang