Splish, Splat! Alexis Domney. Illustrated by Alice Crawford. Toronto, ON: Second Story Press (Produced in partnership with the Canadian Society for the Deaf), 2011. 24 pp., hardcover, $15.95. ISBN 978-1-897187-88-3. Preschool-Grade 3 / Ages 4-8. Review by Charlotte Evans. **** /4 Reviewed from Advance Review Copy.

excerpt:

Message relay? Betty was confused. 'The painters I am recommending are Deaf,' said the man. 'Put the call through message relay and then ask for Heather.'

Splish, Splat! is an engaging story about a young boy, Colin, who doesn't like the ugly yellow colour of his bedroom. His mother, Betty, decides to hire painters to fix it. This introduces them to Heather and Molly, two painters who happen to be Deaf.

     The book does an excellent job of incorporating information about Deaf people into the natural flow of the story, rather than explicitly "teaching" about this topic. The descriptions and information are authentic because both the author and illustrator are Deaf. The main focus is the storyline, and the byproducts include learning about message relay services for telephone connections and communicating with Deaf people through signed and written language. The natural incorporation of this information serves to normalize being Deaf. This is further supported by having Deaf characters, Heather and Molly, portrayed as valuable members of society – they are professional painters hired to do a needed job. The one misleading point is when the two painters are chatting in American Sign Language and, while moving their hands around, they end up speckling the blue walls with white paint without realizing it. Although this is the "punch line" of the story and intended to be humorous, it could convey that Deaf people can't be very capable painters. This is probably not a concern for the children reading this story, as they will appreciate and enjoy the exaggeration and silliness, but it may be more difficult for the adult readers to make this shift from the realistic to unrealistic realm of storytelling.

      Alice Crawford's artwork is also worth mentioning. She uses a unique photo collage method to create playful and vibrant images. At the same time, she also incorporates realistic depictions of interactions between the characters as they communicate through videophone, ASL signs, gestures, and writing. This, again, provides indirect opportunities to learn and normalize alternative communication methods.

      First and foremost, Splish, Splat! is a delightful story that young children will enjoy. An additional benefit is that it provides readers with new insights about Deaf people in ways that will value their life experiences.

Highly Recommended.

Charlotte Enns teaches in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and conducts research related to literacy development of Deaf children.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - March 18, 2011.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME