22nd - 28th September International Week of Deaf People; 23rd September International Day of Sign Languages

International Week of Deaf People Theme for 2025:

No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights

International Day of Sign Languages is observed on 23rd September each year as an opportunity to offer visibility to sign languages and deaf people, estimated to be 72 million worldwide.

Sign languages are ways to communicate with hand gestures and other movements, including facial expressions and postures, rather than spoken words. There are more than 300 sign languages in use all around the world. 

StoryBox Library has a very large collection of Auslan signed picture books (88 and counting!) and for the National Week of Deaf People they have an interview with Emma Watkins and her  creative partner Elvin Melvin. Together, they share their passion for Auslan, inclusive storytelling, and the joy of bringing visual language to life through music, movement, and media. 

There is also a ASL Kids Club on Youtube where you can find more picture books that are being signed.

I have written about these celebrations before, here and here, but here are some other resources.

• Dancing Hands  by Joanna Que

Sam’s new neighbors’ hands make graceful movements she doesn’t recognize, and she wonders what they are saying. Soon she meets her new neighbor, Mai, who teaches Sam some Filipino Sign Language. Along the way, they both discover the joys of making a new friend, a best friend.

• Butterfly on the Wind  by Adam Pottle

On the day of the talent show, Aurora's hands tremble. No matter how hard she tries to sign, her fingers stumble over one and another and the words just won't come. But as she's about to give up, she spots a butterfly. Using her hands to sign the ASL word for "butterfly," Aurora sends a magical butterfly of her own into the world, inspiring Deaf people across the globe to add their own. 

• Listening to the Quiet  by Cassie Silva

Jacki’s mama has a rare condition. She is slowly losing her hearing. Together, they are learning Sign Language so that they’ll always be able to tell each other everything. But as Mama’s world becomes quieter, Jacki’s remains full of sound, especially on Music Appreciation Fridays. How can Jacki enjoy listening to music when her mama can no longer hear it? 

• Mara Hears in Style  by Terrie Clemmons

Mara's first day at her new school is filled with ups and downs surrounding her hearing aids: her teacher doesn't remember to turn on her microphone. This book will encourage readers to respect hearing differences and inspire kids who worry about making new friends. The book is filled with American Sign Language depictions--including a full alphabet spread--so readers can sign alongside Mara.

• Next Door  by Deborah Kerbel 

In this wordless picture book, a deaf boy and his mother enjoy a walk through their community. Together, they greet their neighbors, stop by the playground, spy a bird's nest in a tree and buy cookies at the grocery store. Later, they visit their new neighbors, a woman and her daughter, who have only recently immigrated from another country. Although the girl is shy, and the two kids speak different languages - American Sign Language (ASL) and Arabic - find a way to communicate and become fast friends. 

•  More than Words  by Roz MacLean

At school, Nathan quietly observes the diverse ways his peers communicate. Even when they're not talking, they're expressing themselves in all sorts of ways!

Beautifully illustrated, this tender picture book moves from exploring and celebrating many different forms of expression-signing, speaking, singing, smiling, among others-to a poignant story about the search for connection and understanding. By its co

23rd September International Day of Sign Languages

 

Theme for 2022:
Sign Languages Unite Us!

 Some books to highlight sign language:

• What the Jackdaw Saw by Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt

This book about friendship and sign language was created by Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo, with a group of deaf children in a workshop organised by the not-for-profit organisation Life & Deaf which helps deaf children to explore their identities through poetry, film, performance and art. 

• Moonbird  by Joyce Dunbar and Jane Ray

A Moonchild blows a bubble that pops on an Earth baby and surrounds him in silence. He cannot hear or speak. His parents, a King and Queen, are devastated when they realise but a Moonbird teaches the little prince how to use his hands and eyes to communicate. 

• Hands and Hearts by Donna Jo Napoli and Amy Bates

A mother and daughter spend a sunny day at the beach together where they swim, dance, build sandcastles, and, most importantly, communicate. But their communication is not spoken; rather, it is created by loving hands that use American Sign Language. Readers will learn how to sign 15 words using American Sign Language with the help of sidebars that are both instructive and playful.

• Jack Signs by Karen Hardwicke and Amanda Walker 

The heart-warming tale of a little boy who is deaf, wears hearing aids and discovers the magic of sign language - based on a true story!

Our school library still has a copy of The River of Silence  a picture book by Sarah Bertels and Catherine Hewitt which is a children's story with the appropriate sign language symbols accompanying the written text. Colourful illustrations tell the story of a river in search of its sound, conveying the message that it is not necessary to hear to appreciate beauty. Written for the author's deaf son, the book won the Lothian Centenary Children's Picture Book Award.