SIGN UP FOR ADVENTURE!
written and illustrated by Lavanya Karthik
Two boys—one Deaf, one hearing—learn to communicate in this picture book by author/illustrator Karthik.
Neel, the narrator, tells readers about his best friend: “Adil is Deaf. He uses his hands, body, and expressions to communicate. I learned that this is called signing.” Neel notes how Adil perceives the world without hearing: He touches music speakers to feel the bass pounding, and he watches a sign language interpreter translate what his teacher says during class. Neel, who doesn’t know how to sign, finds it difficult to communicate with Adil. Then, one day, they draw a comic together in which Mighty Neel and Super Adil fight a spaghetti monster with “tickle power.” Neel works on learning sign language, and together “the Doodling Duo” continue their comic adventures. Karthik’s book was originally published in India, and she bookends the story with both the American and Indian Sign Language alphabets. The illustrations are not only charming, but also brilliantly convey the movements of the characters’ sign language. Karthik notes that although Deaf kids may seem different from hearing children, “in lots of other ways—the books we read, the food we like, the jokes that make us fall over laughing—we are all the same.” This book delivers this message flawlessly with plenty of heart and good humor.
A joyful tale of finding connection and making friends.