WHEN BRYN'S EAR WENT QUIET

A youngster prepares for a medical procedure.

Seven-year-old Bryn has lost some hearing after recurring infections (“My right ear had gone quiet”), and a hearing aid doesn’t fully restore what Bryn is missing. When Mom and Dad parents explain that a cochlear implant could help Bryn hear whispers and bird chirps again, the youngster agrees to the operation. Hundal walks readers through the hospital experience with gentle specificity, zeroing in on details: the red line that Bryn, Mom, and Dad follow through corridors, the warm blanket that feels “as if it had been waiting in the oven just for me.” The narrative captures both Bryn’s nervousness (personified as a “squirrel rac[ing] in my stomach when I thought about the operation”) and courage; Hundal normalizes the medical procedures without glossing over the strangeness of the experience. Rooney’s illustrations complement the reassuring tone with soft, textured images in a warm palette—yellow and peachy hospital walls, toasty lemon sunshine, soothing blues and greens. The art style is childlike and approachable, with rounded figures and expressive faces that convey emotion without overwhelming young readers. Sound is cleverly visualized through concentric circles radiating from birds, voices, and Bryn’s ears. The matter-of-fact depiction of hearing loss makes this a useful resource for families navigating similar experiences. Bryn, Mom, and Dad are pale-skinned; the medical professionals whom they encounter are diverse.

An empathetic and informative primer that demystifies cochlear implants.