And, whew, what would we ( and the children. Since 2003, Cece’s brought us three tales of Sock Monkey, beginning with Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood: A Star is Bathed, which Publishers Weekly described as Cece’s “imaginatively silly debut.” Bouncy, breezy, “as light as cotton candy” (that would be School Library Journal on Sock Monkey Boogie Woogie: A Friend is Made) - these are descriptors for Cece’s tales.

Cece, who’s joining me for “buttered toast and hot chocolate” this morning, has certainly created books with out a sock monkey as the protagonist, but there’s no question she’s better known for her tales of one of those old-fashioned, hand-crafted toys made from, you know, socks and fashioned to look like, you know, monkeys (all those titles published by Candlewick). I think Maxwell and Cece are a good pair of illustrators to show up beside one another during a one-week span, seeing as how they both create your more light-hearted, cheerful, cartoon-esque, colorful, fun-filled fare - books with uncluttered, spare styles and simple, rounded shapes for the youngest of picture book readers, yet ones that rely on their visual humor to snag the reader. First, Maxwell Eaton III stopped by, kicking off his tour at 7-Imp, and now Cece Bell is here in the midst of her own tour (if you’re interested in winning some original Cece art at the close of her tour, be sure to check out that link).

When Cece finally reveals herself as El Deafo at the end of the novel, we find her at the end of the coming-of-age plot arc, as she embraces her true self and discovers that she is valuable, appreciated, and loved.If I were more organized I would have declared this Blog Tour Week here at 7-Imp. While Cece is anxious, El Deafo is brave and confident. El Deafo encourages Cece to speak for herself and feel proud of her abilities. While Cece begins the novel full of self-doubt and self-hate, she finds in El Deafo an outlet for her difficult emotions and shame. She is helped along in this trajectory by supportive teachers, her family, the romantic interest of Mike, and her best friend Martha.īell creates a dichotomy between Cece and El Deafo, which allows her to showcase Cece’s growth. As she grows, she develops confidence and becomes more aware of her own worth. Her biggest struggles are with alienation, friendship, and developing a sense of self-worth despite her disability. We see Cece come of age in this book, and her story follows a standard plot arc of the coming-of-age narrative.

Cece bell