Cece Bell | |
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![]() Bell in 2024 | |
Born | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | December 26, 1970
Occupation | Writer, cartoonist, illustrator |
Education | Paier College of Art |
Genre | Children's literature |
Years active | 1991–present |
Spouse | Tom Angleberger |
Children | 2 |
Website | |
cecebell |
Cecelia Carolina Bell [1] (born December 26, 1970, in Richmond, Virginia) is an American author, cartoonist, and illustrator. Most well known for her graphic novel El Deafo , Bell's work has appeared in The Atlantic , Vegetarian Times , Newsweek , the Los Angeles Times , Working Woman , Esquire and many other publications.
Bell suffered hearing loss as a child due to a case of meningitis. As a result, she had to get used to using bulky and prominent hearing devices around her school-age peers.
Bell attended the Paier College of Art as an art major and went on to get a graduate degree in illustration and design at Kent State University in 1991. She became a freelance commercial artist, illustrator, and designer for an array of projects before beginning her career as a full-time author-illustrator.
El Deafo is based on Bell's own childhood. She wanted there to be a handbook for hearing people so they knew how to understand and communicate with deaf people without being disrespectful. The project eventually evolved into a graphic novel where children who were deaf could see themselves positively represented in a book.
Bell uses the imagery of everyone illustrated as rabbits as a visual metaphor. When she was growing up, she felt like she was the only "rabbit" whose ears didn't work, in doing so she shows being deaf as a power. She also shows and talks about how being deaf isn't something negative. [2]
The title of the graphic novel comes from the idea that Cece feels powerful like a superhero with the assistance of her Phonic Ear, the hearing aid she uses in order to hear her teachers at school. [3]
Bell is married to children's author Tom Angleberger. [4]
Bell won the Newbery Medal Honor [5] and Eisner Award [6] for El Deafo .
Five of Bell's books are Junior Library Guild selections: Sock Monkey Rides Again (2007), [7] El Deafo (2014), [8] Rabbit & Robot and Ribbit (2016), [9] Smell My Foot!: Chick and Brain (2019), [10] and Egg or Eyeball? (2020), [11]
In 2014, El Deafo was named one of the best books of the year by The Horn Book Magazine , [12] Kirkus Reviews , [13] the Los Angeles Public Library, [8] Publishers Weekly , and School Library Journal . [8] It was also a New York Times Notable Children’s Book. [8]
In 2019, Smell My Foot! was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Public Library and School Library Journal . [10]
Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover | Cybils Award for Early Chapter Books | Finalist | [14] |
2013 | The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee (as illus.) | NAIBA Book of the Year for Middle Readers | Winner | [15] |
Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover | Theodor Seuss Geisel Award | Honor | [16] | |
2014 | El Deafo | Cybils Award for Elementary and Middle Grade Graphic Novel | Winner | [17] |
Goodreads Choice Award for Best Middle Grade and Children's | Nominee | [18] | ||
Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature | Finalist | [13] [19] | ||
2015 | Guardian Children's Fiction Prize | Longlist | [20] [21] | |
Charlotte Huck Award | Honor | [22] | ||
Children's Choice Book Award for Debut Author | Finalist | [23] | ||
Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids | Winner | [6] | ||
Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work | Finalist | [24] | ||
Judy Lopez Memorial Award | Winner | [25] | ||
Newbery Medal | Honor | [26] [5] | ||
2016 | Rabbit and Robot and Ribbit | Cybils Award for Early Chapter Books | Finalist | [27] |
2020 | Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot! | Theodor Seuss Geisel Award | Honor | [16] |
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