Yusuf, Genevieve: - I was born in Colchester, Essex in 1978. I studied at the University of Sussex and I have a degree in Linguistics and Spanish. I have been a private Spanish tutor to children for many years and picked up along the way, what interests children and what makes them tick! I noticed that children learn best when they don't realise they are learning. That is why a fun story is a good way to introduce another language. As part of my degree I studied second language acquisition in children and am aware that introducing a foreign language to a child at an early age is the best for their learning. My bilingual stories are written predominantly in English with Spanish or French slipped into the context, therefore children are almost unaware that they are learning. Pronunciation guides are also included in the back Since writing my bilingual stories with a difference, I was inspired to write 'Ranvir Cannot Hear'. My sister had visited the Rangammal school in India for children with a hearing impairment and told me some lovely stories of the students there. I also had a friend who works with deaf children and she loved my idea of a story, and so Ranvir was born! It's a tale of inclusion and empowerment, teaching children not to worry about what they can't do but focus on what they can. 10p of every book sold goes to to the Sylvia Wright Trust which runs the Rangammal school. BSL and ASL alphabets are also included in the back so children can learn to sign. In my spare time, I love to do tap and ballet dancing, walk my dog and spend time with my husband and beautiful 3 year old daughter.