Going On A Bear Hunt

My daughter’s Visual Impairment teacher sends home books from time to time.  They’re called, “braille books” even though they’re mostly picture books appropriate for young children.    All words in the book have been translated to braille and overlaid on the page in a clear braille.    It’s the stories that are fun though.

Both children love the books because they’re just fun.   You get to touch what’s on the page, be it textures or dots to follow.  Sometimes there are pieces to move like we had in the missing bear book. We had the classic, Going on a Bear Hunt book come home a few weeks ago.   The author kept to the original story but the story was played out in braille dots and textures.

There were colors and pictures and you didn’t need to be blind or read braille to enjoy the book.   We followed a line of braille dots for our path and felt textures for the stream, tall grass and trees.    When we found the bear we ran back home through the same elements, only faster.

The students in my daughter’s class enjoy the braille books too.   I noticed at Bring Your Parents to School that one of the students had selected a braille book to show to her parents.  

We have a pumpkin patch book this week that’s both textural and interactive.   I’m looking forward to reading (and feeling) the book with my children.

The Big Boy Update:  At dinner tonight my children were thanking dad for making them dinner.   They were coming up with other things they were thankful for including my son saying, “mom, thank you for making me born.”

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  About that bike riding—my daughter is not only good, she’s scary good.   She’s fast, has the braking down and can mount and dismount with ease.   People who walk by (we have an active neighborhood with a lot of walkers) are amazed, and a some don’t know she has vision issues.  It’s collisions I’m mostly worried about now because I know she can stop in time, it’s the being able to see the thing she needs to avoid that has me worried.