The Sound of a Smile

About this book

A little girl walks down a bustling city street, packed with traffic, chatter, music and barking dogs. She cannot her these sounds as she is deaf, but her world is not silent. Instead, she hears and feels the loudness of colour and light, because she has a secret: she can hear sounds that are hiding, the secret song of the world. 

The girl leaves the city and invites the reader to join her as she focuses on beautiful details in nature – the twitch of a mouse’s ears, the blink of a blackbird’s eye, she can hear them all. As she observes, she meets a friend, and the pair share in the visual feast of a sunset. She sees her wave and feels the hold of her hand, most of all she hears the warm sound of her smile.

This picture book takes readers on a profound and uplifting journey as it explores the character’s sensory world. Louise Greig writes from experience having lost her own hearing in adulthood and her insightful, poetic story will help children to empathise with different sensory experiences and feel empowered to communicate their own perceptions of the world.

David Litchfield’s illustrations compliment the story superbly, with beautiful textured layers, rippling light and intricate details that sing off the page. You feel immersed in the bustling city streets or the calm natural scenes and can hear the vibrancy of the surroundings just like the girl. 

About the illustrator