Mighty Mila by Katie Petruzziello

I discovered a new-to-me-author today! While browsing through my Facebook feed, I noticed a recommendation to try out this new children's book. I was grabbed immediately because the post told me that this book was promoted in honor of Deaf Awareness Month. As a hearing impaired person, this is a topic that always grabs my attention.

Reading children's books brings me a few moments of "nice" during my work day, and I enjoy taking the break. This story was a joyful read. Although the main character, Mila, has cochlear implants, and they do make the world different for her... they certainly don't make HER different. She experiences the same daily goals of being a "big kid" that I think every child encounters at one point or another... some of us grown ups are still working on that challenge, too.

There was a strong message of independence, amid an underlying theme of inclusiveness. The illustrations are wonderfully drawn with characters who exude lots of personality... even the cat. I especially enjoyed all of the fun accent words the author used throughout the text to make the reading more engaging.

There are Listen, Look, and Think questions in the back of the book that make it an even better reading experience for the whole family or classroom.

I will look for more books by Ms. Petruzziello for the little ones in my life.

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