How Did the Super Kena Book Come About?
When my first grandchild was born hard of hearing, things changed.
I searched online for a children’s book about a child with hearing aids, but they were hard to find. Most of the books I found featured animals with hearing aids instead of children.
So I decided to write one for her.
That is how Super Kena: A Girl Made Fierce with Hearing Aids was born. The book was created to empower children like Kena, as well as other differently-abled children who may feel teased, misunderstood, or simply want to fit in.
The story touches on children with glasses, diabetes, a stutter, a peanut allergy, asthma, and children who use wheelchairs. Together, they use their unique superpowers to make a difference in the world by spreading understanding and acceptance, one classroom at a time.
Why I Wrote Super Kena
When we found out Kena had hearing loss, it sparked a passion in me for advocating for children with disabilities and for anything that could improve their quality of life.
Everyone is built differently, and families with children who face extra challenges often carry struggles that others may not see. Raising a family is already difficult, and when you add doctor appointments, physical therapy, audiology visits, extra care, financial concerns, patience, love, and tender support, families can feel stretched to the breaking point.
They can also feel very alone.
That is why I included Super Kena’s six friends in her class, each with different abilities of their own. Abilities come in many different forms, but the message is the same:
You are not alone. You are kind. You are determined. You are SUPER!
About the author
Becky has been an administrative assistant for a local non-profit for the last 26 years along with being a farm wife. She and her husband Dan farm small grains and sugar beets in northern Minnesota. They have three grown children: a teacher, a doctor, and a farmer. They live with their two dogs and enjoy visits from their four grandchildren.
