A new Japanese picture book about selective mutism was published in January 2011. The title is Nacchan no koe -- Gakkou de hanasenai kodomotachi no rikai no tameni (Nacchan's voice -- Understanding children who can't speak at school).
Book details by Yahoo!Japan books
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The heroine of the book is an elementary school girl who has selective mutism. We can understand the disorder through the story.
The main contents of the book are, of course, picture book. The story is very easy to understand, so even little children seem to be able to understand the disorder through the story.
The author is Miko Hayashi. She was a mother of a child who once had selective mutism. She illustrates the book as well as tells the story. Ms. Hayashi has made public her original picture stories about selective mutism on the Internet for a few years.
And at the end of the book, Yoji Kanehara, the director of Kanehara Pediatric Clinic, provides medical explanation about selective mutism for teachers and parents. In addition, one junior high school girl with selective mutism contributes her poem.
This book is edited under the supervision of Kanmoku Net (Knet), a Japanese selective mutism support group. Miko Hayashi is a member of the group.
Nacchan no Koe is not the first Japanese picutre book about selective mutism. As far as I know, the one titled Banzai! Nayakaya-kun (Hooray! Nakayama) was published in 2000. In 2002 a photo book Rika-chan ga waratta -- Hibikiau kodomo tachi (1) (Rika laughed -- Echoing children (1)) was published. However, there had been no picture books in which organizations on selective mutism involved until this book was published.
