Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be able to switch off all the sounds in the world?
Dr. Christine Ko is an author, mother, and a Professor of Dermatology and Pathology at Yale University. Her debut children’s book, Sound Switch Wonder, was inspired by her son, Owen Whang who was diagnosed with auditory neuropathy at age two and helped to write the book. The book was written to include more representation of deaf people in books and the spectrum and range of deafness. Christine lives with husband and their daughter and son in New Haven, Connecticut. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
SOUND SWITCH WONDER is a picture book all about a young child who has cochlear implants (CIs). He can switch sound off and on, which sparks a conversation with his parents about what it’s like when there is no sound. This makes the child wonder how to describe it as he compares it to various settings and activities. It’s an interesting exploration of hearing challenges from a child’s point of view.
Welcome Christine!
Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey. When did you start writing picture books? How has that brought you to writing this picture book?
Christine: I have always wanted to be a writer, from when I was very young. As a teenager, I wrote a romance novel (never published) – it was pretty melodramatic! I didn’t have much exposure to picture books as a child and started reading them when my kids were younger. I ended up really enjoying them! I love the juxtaposition of pictures and text, lyrical to rhyming, complex to simple.
Me: What gave you the idea for this picture book?
Christine: My son (now 15!) had an amazing 1st grade teacher, Chester Sharp, who promoted diversity with the picture books on display (and available to read) in his classroom. At the time, there wasn’t really a picture book with a main character with cochlear implants in a story that wasn’t about being evaluated for hearing loss. So it planted the idea in my head of getting one out there.
Me: It can be hard to write stories that are based on personal experience, yet you’ve managed to find a wonderful story arc that is approachable for young readers. How many drafts did it really take to get to this final state? How long did it take from first idea to final published book?
Christine: Oh wow. Too many drafts to count! This was literally a 5-year process! I wrote a first draft (which was still probably the 5th or 6th iteration) when my daughter was in 5th grade, and I didn’t have a final draft until she was in 10th grade! I am grateful to my daughter’s 5th grade teacher, Jake Burt, who was willing to edit and give me feedback on that first draft. If not for him, I am not sure that I would have continued trying.
Me: Can you talk about how the book came to be published with West Margin Press? Did you send it out to multiple publishers before it was accepted there?
Christine: It took me several years to find my literary agent, Stephanie Hansen at Metamorphosis Literary Agency. While I was sending out letters to agents, asking for representation, I was also self-querying publishers that accepted queries directly from authors (not all publishers do). I probably sent letters out to at least 30 agents over two years as well as query letters to at least 30 publishers over that same time period. Part of what would take time was the effort needed to research the literary agents and publishers in order to craft specific letters to each agent and publisher. Once Stephanie took me on, she was instrumental in securing the contract with West Margin Press.
Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this book?
Christine: I didn’t realize that getting a book into print is SO challenging. It really takes a ton of grit.
Me: Katie Crumpton’s illustrations in this book are wonderful. I love that she is also partially deaf and perfectly understands how to portray the devices, etc. Did you have any illustration surprises? Any favorites?
Christine: Shout out to Katie Crumpton! Yes! I love her illustrations. She did a wonderful job. There were no negative surprises, and I was honestly so happy with her work. One of my favorites is the boy holding an umbrella.
Me: Any advice would you give to aspiring picture book writers?
Christine: We need diverse books! And diverse books come from each of our own experiences, so keep believing in yourself and don’t give up your dreams.
That is great advice. Thank you for stopping by my blog today Christine.
Dear readers, this book was originally published in 2023. If you haven’t yet had a chance to read it, I highly recommend tracking it down. It’s a story of representation for hearing challenged children that isn’t about realizing they have a deficit. It’s written from a place of commonality and that is rare! Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss it.
Every child needs to see themselves in a picture book. I often forget how many are left behind. Thank you for giving us a glimpse of your writing journey and adding more children in the picture.