For children, the first day at a new school is always challenging, but even more so when you are deaf. Author and entrepreneur, Nancy Gaylard, founder of Not Just Consulting based in South Africa, has written a new book ‘Once Upon A Sign: Ayen’s First Day’, which aims to expose children, during their formative years, to differently abled and deaf people in particular. With this wonderful new book, she hopes it will start a conversation about what makes each of us different and how this difference should be celebrated.
The book ‘Once Upon A Sign: Ayen’s First Day’ will be officially launched in September 2022 which is Deaf Awareness Month, and the story will help to create greater awareness of this important theme. This first book introduces a new series which is aimed at celebrating and representing diversity through characters of different abilities, races and backgrounds.
Speaking about what makes this book launch different, Nancy says:
“I have written a children's book about a Deaf girl, Ayen who goes to a hearing school and the challenges she faces on her first day being different. I am hoping for this book to be part of a series of books which is aimed at representing diversity through the characters of different abilities, races and backgrounds.”
The new book, ‘Once Upon A Sign: Ayen’s First Day’, is published by LAPA Publishers, an Imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa. A launch event is being planned for September 2022 to officially introduce the book to customers and readers. The book will be available in bookshops from September and Nancy’s hope is to also have this book introduced into primary schools.
Nancy’s aspirations for the new book are to help people learn sign language, which is now recognised as the 12th official language of South Africa, and also learn about different disabilities in our world. She wants readers to appreciate that people are all different and we need to learn to understand how we can all work together. She says, “One person's weakness is another person’s strength.”
About the author
Entrepreneur and author, Nancy Gaylard, is the founder of Not Just Consulting in South Africa. She was born in the country’s highveld, where she spent her formative years. Leaving school, she entered the hospitality industry and spent more than 20 years in customer facing roles. This experience highlighted the value of communication, in all its forms, and the impact this has not only on business but also on basic human interaction. Nancy later started her own consultancy, specializing in customer service, Not Just Consulting. It was during this time that Nancy was exposed to the impact that people with different disabilities have in the workplace, and began working with deaf people. In doing so, she found her passion! Nancy lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband, son, and dog Steven. Once Upon a Sign: Ayen’s First Day is her debut book.
To find out more about the book or to speak to author Nancy Gaylard, send an email to: gaylard.nancy@gmail.com. To contact LAPA Publishers: An imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa, visit the website: www.lapauitgewers.co.za
