IT BEGAN WITH A BUZZ

A child reflects on struggling with tinnitus.

“It sounded like a bee,” the young narrator says of the constant buzzing noise that no one else could hear. But the narrator could: “I couldn’t think clearly…and I felt very alone.” Scratchy cartoon illustrations vividly convey the child’s frustrated attempts to banish the buzz, which Delsooz portrays as a hovering bee. Nothing seems to help. Finally, the narrator gets a diagnosis—a doctor points to a vaguely drawn diagram of the brain and inner ear labeled “tinnitus” but provides no advice or help. Just as the prognosis appears hopeless, the child winds up a music box, and in a rainbow burst of notes, “the buzzing quiet[s],” offering “magical” relief. “There will always be buzzing,” the narrator acknowledges, and while some days are difficult, “I listen to my music…and keep going.” The word tinnitus is limited to the illustrated diagram, and some readers may wish for more concrete details. Still, likening the condition to a pesky bee may help youngsters conceptualize the condition. In particular, a humorous depiction of the tinnitus-bee accompanying the narrator’s music box on the piano reassuringly underscores that, though tinnitus may be annoying, it can be tamed. While the narrator’s mitigation method might not work for everyone, many will be inspired to find their own coping mechanisms. Characters have light skin.

An encouraging take on coping with a frustrating condition.