El Deafo Receives Odyssey Award and Mexikid Earns Odyssey Honor
By Penguin Random House Audio
It’s a great day for children’s graphic novels on audio!
The American Library Association’s Odyssey Award committee has named El Deafo by Cece Bell a 2024 Odyssey Award winner, and Mexikid by Pedro Martín an Odyssey Honor audiobook.
The Odyssey Award and Honors recognizes excellence in children’s and young adult audiobooks. Read on to learn more about these fantastic audiobook productions and to hear clips.
El Deafo by Cece Bell
El Deafo, the beloved graphic novel adapted for audio with a full cast and sound effects, follows a young Cece as she navigates learning and making friends as a deaf child in a primarily hearing school. Though Cece feels like an outsider, she soon learns that her hearing aid gives her super listening powers, and she’s on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?
“This utterly superb production also proves to be a transformative lesson in immersive empathy. Through a combination of thoughtful acting and meticulous technical control of volume and clarity, listeners can actually experience an approximation of being hearing-challenged, from garbled language to fading modulation.” — School Library Journal, starred audio review
El Deafo is narrated by a full cast and produced by Matie Argiropoulos.
Mexikid by Pedro Martín
Pedro Martin has grown up hearing stories about his legendary crime-fighting, grandfather who was once a part of the Mexican Revolution! But that doesn’t mean Pedro is excited at the news that Abuelito is coming to live with their family. In Mexikid, a poignant, hilarious, and unforgettable graphic memoir adapted for audio, Pedro’s family takes off on a laughter and heartache-filled road trip to Mexico to bring Abuelito home. Along the way, Pedro finally connects with his abuelito and learns what it means to grow up and find his grito.
“Lively characters and relatable family relationships make this a great addition to youth collections.”— Booklist
Mexikid is narrated by a full cast and produced by Diane McKiernan and Olivia Langen.