Within Deaf culture, “Deaf” with an uppercase D often refers to sign language users who view their Deafness as a cultural identity, while a lowercase “d” describes a level of hearing loss. Extraordinary Jordyn and her Bionic Ears centers a child who identifies as having hearing loss. A distinction worth naming for young readers.

Written by Dr. Jasmine Simmons, a Deafblind audiologist, and illustrated by Caryn Marie, this story follows a compassionate young girl who uses a hearing aid on one ear and a cochlear implant on the other. Throughout the book, Jordyn faces unkind comments from a classmate about her hearing devices, offering readers opportunities to reflect on their own perceptions of hearing differences and deafness. Her parents fill her with affirmations and guide her to focus on the positive aspects of being deaf, a concept known as deaf gain. Space visuals and story elements woven throughout add a STEM dimension that ultimately becomes a point of connection between Jordyn and her classmate. The final page offers concrete methods for teaching inclusivity, making it a practical classroom resource.

A strong choice for PreK through third grade teachers looking to open conversations about identity and belonging.