Spirit of Sound children’s book to support hearing health
Local Artist
One out of three first nations children experience hearing loss or damages. To raise awareness, Hearing Australia launched the ‘Spirit of Sound’ storybook.
The book was launched on March 3, coinciding with World Hearing Day and is written and illustrated by Davinder Hart. He was born in Noongar country, Western Australia and grew up in Adelaide. Five years ago he made Port Douglas his home.
“The purpose of the book is to highlight the importance of sound for children with hearing loss or damages”, Mr Hart said.
He explained that the ‘Spirit of Sound’ artwork is based around the HAPEE Program, which provides hearing tests for children under the age of 6.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids are more likely to get affected by hearing issues and their effects” he said.
“The aim is to raise awareness about the importance of regular hearing checks early in life so we can reduce long term effects of ear disease.”
Three elements
“The design for the book is based on three elements; music, dance and mother earth", Mr Hart said. "Children love to sing and dance and it’s a good way to engage them.
“The story of the book is leading up to a big corroboree - an Indigenous dance ceremony. Within the story you will hear all sorts of sounds like clap sticks, crackling fire and singing. When we hear sound it travels through our ears into our bodies and wakes up our feelings.”
Indigenous Culture
Mr Hart said that the book stems from his own experiences in his cultural journey. “My grandmother was part of the stolen generation so I lost a lot of connection with the Indigenous culture.
“Later in my years I was able to regain that. I wrote about this in the book and I illustrated how important it is that our elders are passing on that knowledge.
“The book is also about building a connection with their culture and identity. Identity in Indigenous culture is a little bit lost and grey, so it is important to let the young children know who they are and to let them embrace their culture. Once we start to listen, we can start to learn.”
Offering help
“Since the release of the story book, we’ve had many people come forward with children who have hearing loss.
“Recently someone contacted me on social media to tell me how my book has helped them with engaging their kid who suffers from severe hearing loss. It is wonderful to hear these stories and to be able to help.”
You can download the book for free as a pdf file here. Hard copies will be out around April and will be available to order on the Hearing Australia website.