EXTRAORDINARY JORDYN AND HER BIONIC EARS

A young girl with hearing loss overcomes prejudice to make a new friend in Simmons’ picture book. 

Jordyn loves school and is excited to learn that a new boy, Ben, will be joining her class. She leaves a welcome gift on his desk, but, before school starts, Jordyn encounters him on the playground and he scorns her cochlear implants—her “bionic ears.” Jordyn is upset, but her parents reassure her that she is extraordinary and that her hearing loss is a part of that. Jordyn persists in being friendly to Ben, and they bond over a shared love of planets and the solar system. Simmons, herself a deafblind audiologist, relates Jordyn’s story in simple language that captures the age of the protagonists (“I sure hope he likes my cool pencil”). The narrative, while predictable, is effective in conveying its message of inclusiveness. Marie’s illustrations employ bright, digitally rendered images to capture the world of primary-school kids. The notion that difference and impairment are aspects of individuality is reflected not only in Jordyn’s unique perspective (as in the exquisite two-page spread showing her asleep in a bubble of silence that dissipates when she wakes and puts her bionic ears on) but also in the culturally diverse range of characters—Jordyn is depicted as Black; Ben is a white redhead; the teacher, Mrs. Youssef, presents as Muslim. Throughout, Jordyn exhibits an emotional vulnerability and joy for life that all young children should relate to. 

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, championing the power of positive outlook.