The Sound of Silence

March 15, 2019
Picture-book author Uhlberg (A Storm Called Katrina, illus. by Colin Bootman, 2015, etc.) tells his story of growing up with Deaf parents in Depression-era Brooklyn.Evoking a pleasant nostalgia with its strong sense of place, the episodic narrative follows Myron Uhlberg, a young, white Jewish boy, and his family from Myron's birth to the day he leaves for college. Through anecdotes both funny and poignant, the author explores his complex relationship with his father. Forced to act as an interpreter by the age of 5, Myron feels trapped between the worlds of child and adult as well as Deaf and hearing. This dilemma leads to both humor and pain as Myron navigates the considerable responsibility. The author presents a nuanced portrayal of Deaf life. Myron's main link to the Deaf world is his parents, but other Deaf adults make appearances, hinting at a spectrum of Deaf experiences. The author's decision to write his Deaf parents' speech phonetically could be prejudicial for readers who lack further context, and there is the occasional biased cliché of disability and culture (due to their deafness, he claims his parents' sole source of entertainment is books; seeing a friend in an iron lung causes him to reassess his self-pity). Additionally, in contrast to the author's first memoir, Hands of My Father (2009), published for adults, the title of this adaptation feels like a trite appeal to hearing readers. However, the warmth, love, and playfulness of the narrative prevail.A sweet, satisfying memoir about family bonds and finding one's place in the world. (Memoir. 9-14)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2019

Gr 3-6-Uhlberg was the eldest child born to two Deaf parents in 1933. Sign language was his first language, but he quickly learned spoken English. From a very early age, he was expected to interpret for his parents as they navigated life in Brooklyn. At this time, Deaf people were often considered unintelligent, and Uhlberg witnessed many instances of cruelty directed towards his parents. When Uhlberg was nine, his younger brother developed epilepsy. Not only did Uhlberg have to act as an interpreter during medical appointments, but he was required to look out for his brother and be alert when he had nightly seizures. Uhlberg's tale of growing up is interesting and accessible. He offers a window into what life was like for the Deaf community. One memorable chapter describes Ulhberg's visit to the printing press floor of the Daily News where his father had a union job (a job where being Deaf was considered an advantage because the thunderous noise of the presses was not a distraction). Another chapter paints a vivid picture of the weekly gathering of Deaf families from all over New York City on the beach in Coney Island during the summer. The parents (up to 100 at times) would sign to one another as their children played. VERDICT This young reader adaptation of Uhlberg's Hands of My Father is a heartwarming coming-of-age memoir as well as a poignant meditation on the beauty of language (both spoken and signed), and the importance of communication.-Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2019
Grades 3-6 Born to deaf parents in Brooklyn in 1933, Myron Uhlberg learned to sign before he learned to speak. In this memoir of his childhood during the Depression and WWII, he explains how his life was a constant bridge between the hearing and Deaf worlds. In addition to such common childhood experiences as school anxiety and being bullied, the short, episodic chapters reveal Myron's embarrassment when hearing individuals ridiculed his parents, his constant frustration as interpreter for his parents, and the responsibility of caring for his younger brother, who suffered from epilepsy. Balancing these painful moments, however, are Myron's joyful summer days spent with the Deaf community on Coney Island and watching Jackie Robinson play for the Brooklyn Dodgers?the latter will inspire readers to seek the author's fictional picture book, Dad, Jackie, and Me (2005). There's also great beauty here: Myron's relationship with his father is at once complicated and touching, and his descriptions of signing, particularly his father's, are both educational and profound. An unforgettable story that opens hearts and minds to Deaf culture.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
Adapting his adult memoir �cf2]Hands of My Father�cf1], Uhlberg conversationally relates his Brooklyn childhood spent navigating between the hearing world and his deaf parents' world of silence. While he is clear about the challenges and occasional embarrassment he faced as his parents' hearing representative to often hostile outsiders, he is equally clear about the love, warmth, and hope in his family, especially in his father.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 15, 2019
Picture-book author Uhlberg (A Storm Called Katrina, illus. by Colin Bootman, 2015, etc.) tells his story of growing up with Deaf parents in Depression-era Brooklyn.Evoking a pleasant nostalgia with its strong sense of place, the episodic narrative follows Myron Uhlberg, a young, white Jewish boy, and his family from Myron's birth to the day he leaves for college. Through anecdotes both funny and poignant, the author explores his complex relationship with his father. Forced to act as an interpreter by the age of 5, Myron feels trapped between the worlds of child and adult as well as Deaf and hearing. This dilemma leads to both humor and pain as Myron navigates the considerable responsibility. The author presents a nuanced portrayal of Deaf life. Myron's main link to the Deaf world is his parents, but other Deaf adults make appearances, hinting at a spectrum of Deaf experiences. The author's decision to write his Deaf parents' speech phonetically could be prejudicial for readers who lack further context, and there is the occasional biased clich� of disability and culture (due to their deafness, he claims his parents' sole source of entertainment is books; seeing a friend in an iron lung causes him to reassess his self-pity). Additionally, in contrast to the author's first memoir, Hands of My Father (2009), published for adults, the title of this adaptation feels like a trite appeal to hearing readers. However, the warmth, love, and playfulness of the narrative prevail.A sweet, satisfying memoir about family bonds and finding one's place in the world. (Memoir. 9-14)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.