Interview with Michelle Wagner, Author of Mickey on the Move

As a speech-language pathologist, I love discovering books about various topics. Mickey on the Move is a picture book written by Michelle Wagner and illustrated by Jenny Phelps about a young boy named Mickey who has bilateral cochlear implants. The story takes the reader through a typical day for Mickey and his journey as he becomes mainstreamed into a local public school.

In the beginning, the author explains the long rides to his other schools, the intensive speech and language sessions, learning sign language, and seeing various doctors determine the best course of action for Mickey. What are cochlear implants? The author explains what cochlear implants are and how they work, which is very helpful for the reader who may not know what they are or how they work. The story continues with how his mother advocates for Mickey as he overcomes some obstacles in the classroom (e.g. noisy environments).

I enjoyed this book because the author explained the basics of cochlear implants and the process of obtaining them. Also, she discussed the importance of sign language, which is still essential given that Mickey is completely deaf when he takes off the implants. To read more about the book and learn about Michelle, visit my website here.