INTERVIEW Brenán Mooney on her new sign-language book for kids

IT’S IN YOUR HANDS Brenan Mooney introduces a willing student in Craggagh NS, Kiltimagh, to the world of sign language using her new book, ‘Cathal Can Sign’.

Breaking down communication barriers


Trevor Quinn

Holding her colourful and captivating publication aloft, Kiltimagh author BrenΡn Mooney proclaimed: “Sign language does not have to be dull.” The proof that she was holding – and that she herself created – is an attractive, dynamic and educational world where children are guided by fictional five-year-old Cathal and his colourful family.
BrenΡn Mooney’s uplifting story, ‘Cathal Can Sign’, was featured on RTÉ’s Nationwide last Friday, and the Kiltimagh woman says she is delighted that more and more people are becoming aware of the book’s existence. 
The need for this book is indisputable. The international OECD skills survey revealed that more than 50,000 primary school children in Ireland, or one pupil in six, have ‘serious literacy difficulties’ – and Mooney believes that this highlights the urgent need for remedial action in our education system.
“Some of these children are not able to figure out the words they are looking at … they are getting so frustrated and falling down the spiral of emotional and behavioural problems, and then there can be social problems,” Mooney explains.
‘Cathal Can Sign’ is a bid to help these children. “The idea of this book was to integrate the words and the visual and empower the child,” she explained, adding that children with learning difficulties, dyslexia, autism and brain injuries could all benefit from this book.
‘Cathal Can Sign’ uses clear photos and colourful illustrations to teach young children Irish Sign Language (ISL) bilingually for the first time. Through both Irish and English, strong communication skills are encouraged at a young age, when children are the most receptive to learning new languages.
Mooney, who used to live in Auckland, New Zealand, where she worked as an assistant co-ordinator in a women’s refuge, recalls the incident the fuelled her desire to help those with communication problems and issues:
“A deaf woman came in [to the refuge] and she was very distressed. She was coming to us from a domestic-violence situation.” The four workers found it hard to understand the woman, and it was difficult to get the information they needed. “What did we do? We started shouting ‘What is your name?’ at her. She ran out. She thought we were angry with her, and she had just left an angry home. It was brutal, and we never saw her again.
“This was someone we let slip through the net, who went back to God knows what. It was a big wake-up call. After that we all learned sign language.”
Mooney believes her book is a great early-learning resource, which supports language development. “It’s a simple and fun book to follow,” she explained. “It’s a children’s  book, following Cathal, who’s five. He introduces the readers to his family through sign language in Irish and English so the children are getting three languages in one.”
Hundreds of schools, educational institutions and nursing homes have been in contact proclaiming their interest in the publication. Recently, she was contacted by the Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children in Camden, London. “They loved the layout and family theme of the book, and it is now likely that the UK, Australia and New Zealand will soon be embracing a BSL [British Sign Language] adaptation, entitled ‘Charlie Can Sign’.”
According to Mooney, a book like this has never been produced with characters like Cathal and his family. Often the books do not speak to children at all. “I get annoyed myself when I see an adult character inside. You’ll see a woman or a man all dressed in black. You don’t get young characters. That’s what I think children like to see, colourful characters and a young person who they can identify with.”
While the book is aimed at children, adults are also benefiting. Mooney described one example of the effect that the pioneering book has had on the life of a man with a brain injury – in just six short weeks: “The owner of a nursing home went in to a local shop and saw the book and she thought ‘hang on that’s great, I could teach him the alphabet and we could start communicating together’.”
The man’s progress has been remarkable. Mooney explained that by using 25 enlarged, laminated signs from the book, care assistants and family were able to work with the man and bypass more than three years of non-communication. They can now say such things as ‘Good morning’ and ask ‘How are you? How are you feeling?’, and he can answer them. This might sound small, but it’s massive leap for everyone involved. “This has really changed his life for the better,” Mooney said.
With the levels of interest surrounding the book continuing to soar, it looks as though Cathal (or Charlie) will help thousands more adults and children break down the communication barriers that hold them back, making their worlds – and those of their families and carers – fuller, richer and much easier to navigate.