CAN BEARS SKI?

A little bear wonders why everyone keeps asking, “Can bears ski?”

The young narrator of this picture book tries to pay attention, but they just can’t make sense of things. It turns out that they are hard of hearing. Dad Bear brings them to the audiologist, where they learn about hearing tests and audiograms. Finally, they get hearing aids, and suddenly the world is a lot louder—sometimes too loud! This book affectionately portrays one experience of being hard of hearing. There is no mention of sign language, yet it does not imply that oralism is the only valid route. It is a depiction of the real experience of many hard-of-hearing children. The illustrations are simple and cozy, featuring lots of very cute bear faces. As with many picture books addressing specific issues, the main audience for this book will be children with a similar experience, who will surely delight in seeing the little bear wearing their hearing aids and learning to navigate the world. However, all young readers will enjoy figuring out just what “Can bears ski?” is supposed to mean and will benefit from learning about being hard of hearing, including how to talk to a hard-of-hearing person.

Gently and thoughtfully teaches about being a hard-of-hearing kid.