Sky, the Deaf Home Run Hero: A Lesson in Courage

A deaf boy’s baseball superpower gives him courage to turn bullies into friends in a heartwarming picture book.

Young Sky is a boy who was born deaf, but it doesn’t stop him from doing what he loves most: playing baseball. Eager and determined, he works hard on his skills until he notices that, swing after swing, every ball is hit, soaring out of the ballpark like an eagle…Sky has a superpower! Not hearing enables him to focus on the ball and hit home runs with ease. But when the bullies try to bring him down, baseball gives him the courage to face them and win them over, and “with every home run, a bully becomes a friend.”

Author Mickey Carolan did not have to look far for inspiration for this uplifting story. As a hearing child raised by two deaf parents, he witnessed firsthand the challenges that face some deaf children, namely being bullied for being different. It became Carolan’s mission to create a book in which a deaf child can see themselves in the story and how they can make a positive difference. In the United States alone, there are an estimated 300,000 deaf or hearing-impaired school-aged children, according to the National Association of the Deaf.

With Sky, the Deaf Home Run Hero: A Lesson in Courage, Carolan brings a story of bravery and friendship to families and early educators of both the deaf and hearing communities. This is the first book in the Deaf Kids Can series.

Children's author Mickey Carolan did not have to look far for inspiration for his new picture book, Sky, the Deaf Home Run Hero: A Lesson in Courage. Being raised by two deaf parents motivated Mickey to share his family's story as a legacy for future generations and as a social emotional learning message for all children in the deaf community.
 
As a CODA, or child of a deaf adult, and with American Sign Language as his first language, Mickey witnessed first-hand the challenges that face some deaf children, namely being bullied for being different. It was important for him to create a book in which a deaf child can see themselves in the story and how they can make a difference. He wants his young readers-deaf and hearing-to come away from his story understanding that deaf children can do anything except hear and that this stays with them long after the book is closed.
 
Mickey lives outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife, Erin and their two children, Elloree and Brooks. When he isn't writing stories of courage and resilience for children, Mickey enjoys spending time with his family, coaching youth sports, reading, and lifting weights. Sky, the Deaf Home Run Hero: A Lesson in Courage is his debut children's book, the first installment in the Deaf Kids Can series.