American author and illustrator
Cecelia Carolina Bell
[1] (born December 26, 1970, in
Richmond, Virginia ) is an American author, cartoonist, and illustrator. Most well known for her
graphic novel
El Deafo , Bell's work has appeared in
The Atlantic ,
Vegetarian Times ,
Newsweek , the
Los Angeles Times ,
Working Woman ,
Esquire and many other publications.
Biography
Bell suffered
hearing loss as a child due to a case of
meningitis . As a result, she had to get used to using bulky and prominent hearing devices around her school-age peers.
Bell attended the
Paier College of Art as an art major and went on to get a graduate degree in illustration and design at
Kent State University in 1991. She became a freelance commercial artist, illustrator, and designer for an array of projects before beginning her career as a full-time author-illustrator.
Career
El Deafo
El Deafo is based on Bell's own childhood. She wanted there to be a handbook for hearing people so they knew how to understand and communicate with deaf people without being disrespectful. The project eventually evolved into a
graphic novel where children who were deaf could see themselves positively represented in a book.
Bell uses the imagery of everyone illustrated as
rabbits as a visual metaphor. When she was growing up, she felt like she was the only "rabbit" whose ears didn't work, in doing so she shows being deaf as a power. She also shows and talks about how being deaf isn't something negative.
[2]
The title of the graphic novel comes from the idea that Cece feels powerful like a
superhero with the assistance of her
Phonic Ear , the
hearing aid she uses in order to hear her teachers at school.
[3]
Personal life
Bell is married to children's author
Tom Angleberger .
[4]
Bell at the 2019
National Book Festival
Awards and honors
Bell won the
Newbery Medal Honor
[5] and
Eisner Award
[6] for
El Deafo .
Five of Bell's books are
Junior Library Guild selections: Sock Monkey Rides Again (2007),
[7] El Deafo (2014),
[8] Rabbit & Robot and Ribbit (2016),
[9] Smell My Foot!: Chick and Brain (2019),
[10] and Egg or Eyeball? (2020),
[11]
In 2014,
El Deafo was named one of the best books of the year by
The Horn Book Magazine ,
[12]
Kirkus Reviews ,
[13] the
Los Angeles Public Library ,
[8]
Publishers Weekly , and
School Library Journal .
[8] It was also a
New York Times Notable Children’s Book.
[8]
In 2019, Smell My Foot! was named one of the best books of the year by the
Chicago Public Library and
School Library Journal .
[10]
Publications
As author and illustrator
Standalone books
Busy Buddies: Silly Stuff That Goes Together (2006, Candlewick Press,
ISBN
978-0-7636-2776-8 )
Food Friends: Fun Foods That Go Together (2006, Candlewick Press,
ISBN
978-0-7636-2777-5 )
Bee-Wigged (2008, Candlewick Press,
ISBN
978-0-7636-3614-2 )
Itty Bitty (2009, Candlewick Press,
ISBN
978-0-7636-3616-6 )
El Deafo (2014,
Harry N. Abrams ,
ISBN
978-1-4197-1020-9 )
I Yam a Donkey! (2015,
Clarion Books ,
ISBN
978-0-5440-8720-0 )
Chuck and Woodchuck (2016, Candlewick Press,
ISBN
978-0-7636-7524-0 )
You Loves Ewe! (2019, Clarion Books,
ISBN
978-1-3285-2611-3 )
Sock Monkey trilogy (2003-2006)
Sock Monkey Goes To Hollywood: A Star Is Bathed (2003,
Candlewick Press ,
ISBN
978-0-7445-9850-6 )
Sock Monkey Boogie Woogie: A Friend Is Made (2004, Candlewick Press,
ISBN
978-0-7636-2392-0 )
Sock Monkey Rides Again (2006, Candlewick Press,
ISBN
978-0-7636-3089-8 )
Rabbit & Robot duo (2012-2016)
The Sleepover (2012,
Candlewick Press ,
ISBN
978-0-7636-7935-4 )
Rabbit and Robot and Ribbit (2016, Candlewick Press,
ISBN
978-0-7636-7935-4 )
Inspector Flytrap trilogy (2016-2017)
Inspector Flytrap with
Tom Angleberger (2016,
Amulet Books ,
ISBN
978-1-4197-0948-7 )
Inspector Flytrap in The President’s Mane Is Missing with Tom Angleberger (2016,
Harry N. Abrams ,
ISBN
978-1-4197-0955-5 )
Inspector Flytrap in The Goat Who Chewed Too Much with Tom Angleberger (2017, Harry N. Abrams,
ISBN
978-1-4197-0956-2 )
Chick and Brain duo (2019-2020)
Smell My Foot! (2019,
Candlewick Press ,
ISBN
978-0-7636-7936-1 )
Egg or Eyeball? (2020, Candlewick Press,
ISBN
978-1-5362-0439-1 )
As contributor
As illustrator
References
^
"Cece Bell: How I made 'El Deafo' in pictures" . The Guardian . August 4, 2015.
Archived from the original on February 27, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016 .
^
"Cece Bell: I wanted to show what it felt like to be the only deaf kid at my school" .
The Guardian . April 27, 2015. Archived from
the original on March 2, 2017.
^ NPR Staf
"'El Deafo': How A Girl Turned Her Deafness Into A Superpower"
Archived March 10, 2018, at the
Wayback Machine "All Things Considered", December 14, 2014
^ Hilboldt Allport, Brandy (March 21, 2013).
"Read All About It: Author in orbit again with winsome activity book" .
The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved April 15, 2013 .
^
a
b Communications and Marketing Office (February 6, 2015).
"American Library Association announces 2015 youth media award winners" .
American Library Association .
Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
a
b
"2010-Present" . Comic-Con International: San Diego . December 2, 2012.
Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"Sock Monkey Rides Again by Cece Bell" .
Junior Library Guild . Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
a
b
c
d
"El Deafo by Cece Bell" .
Junior Library Guild . Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"Rabbit & Robot and Ribbit by Cece Bell" .
Junior Library Guild . Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
a
b
"Smell My Foot!: Chick and Brain by Cece Bell" .
Junior Library Guild .
Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"Egg or Eyeball?: Chick and Brain by Cece Bell" .
Junior Library Guild .
Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"Horn Book Fanfare 1938 to present" .
The Horn Book .
Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
a
b
"El Deafo" .
Kirkus Reviews . July 22, 2014.
Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023 .
^
"2012 Cybils Finalists" .
Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023 .
^
"Awards: NAIBA Books of the Year" .
Shelf Awareness . August 5, 2015.
Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
a
b
"(Theodore Seuss) Geisel Award Winners & Honor Books, 2006 – present" (PDF) .
Association for Library Service to Children .
Archived (PDF) from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2018 .
^
"2014 Cybils Winners" .
Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023 .
^
"El Deafo" .
Goodreads .
Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"Awards: Thurber; Maine Readers' Choice; Kirkus Prize" .
Shelf Awareness . October 1, 2014.
Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"Awards: Hellenic Winners; Guardian Children's Fiction" .
Shelf Awareness . July 15, 2015.
Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"David Almond Wins Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2015" .
Publishers Weekly . November 19, 2015.
Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"NCTE Charlotte Huck Award® Outstanding Fiction for Children Winner List" (PDF) .
National Council of Teachers of English .
Archived (PDF) from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"Children's Choice Book Award Finalists Announced" .
Publishers Weekly . February 19, 2015.
Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^ Asselin, Janelle (May 22, 2015).
"2015 Eisner Award Nominations Announced" . ComicsAlliance .
Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"Meet Our Previous Winners" . The Judy Lopez Memorial Award .
Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"El Deafo | Awards & Grants" .
American Library Association . April 12, 2015.
Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2023 .
^
"2016 Cybils Finalists" . Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards .
Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023 .
External links
International National Other