I Have a Sister My Sister is Deaf by Jeanne Whitehouse shows the impact of deafness upon a young child’s activities: talking with friends and family, playing outdoor games, and responding to environmental sounds. However, my resource focuses on the relationship of the sisters. For example, the older sister must adjust play to meet the needs of her young, hearing-impaired sibling. At the beginning of the book, she helps her sister learn single words. By the end of the book, she realizes that life entails a vast number of hearing experiences. Whitehouse’s implicit theme is the contrast in how these two girls experience the world.
Deborah Ray’s illustrations are black and white drawings. They capture the lives of these two sisters with minimalism and precision.
There’s no mention of early intervention for hearing impairment. Whitehouse published this book as an adult in 1977; I wonder what was available for her sister when they were both young children. When I post this resource on March 31, 2025, I don’t find any other lessons on TPT for this book.
This book is read aloud online by
Read Alouds with Haruka.
My Picture Book Talk for this
story is here.
