In this episode, Cece shares insights into her creative process, revealing how her experiences navigating the world with deafness have shaped her storytelling and sense of humor (and draws the connection between her deafness and her love for puns). She also tells us about the gory job that convinced her to pursue a career as an artist. For any budding comic creators, she also reveals the only book you need to read before you write your first graphic novel.
"...the reader's mind is filling in the blanks in between those panels, and as a lip reader, that's what I do. I fill in the blanks. I'm trying to piece together what that person says. So, comics really make sense to me." - Cece Bell
I first came to know Cece Bell through her groundbreaking semi-autobiographical graphic memoir novel, “El Deafo.” It was SO good that I had to read more by her. That's when I found out, through reading aloud with our (then younger) kids, that Cece's work is hilarious. Like next level, can't-stop-giggling funny. Her zany, expressive storytelling combined with her vibrant illustrations create her unique style, which she dubs “absurdism for children.” During our conversation, Cece explains that it is, in fact, a style born out of misunderstandings of her trying to make sense of the world around her while navigating it with deafness.
While Cece is best known for "El Deafo," which received a Newbery Honor, most of her books are for a slightly younger set. These include her laugh-out-loud funny "Chick and Brain" series and her earlier Sock Monkey trilogy. Cece’s journey to pursuing a career as an artist was first dependent on her discovering confidence in her abilities and her disability. Something that she didn’t fully realize until she wrote “El Deafo.”
This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Amanda Maslonka, a 26-year veteran in education and an elementary school librarian at Pasadena ISD in Texas. She tells us a funny and heartwarming story from her days working with first graders.
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