(3) K-3 Illustrated by Boris Kulikov. This first-person picture-book biography imagines (sometimes more successfully than others) what it felt like to be young Louis Braille, beginning with the accident at age three that slowly blinded him and ending with his invention, at fifteen, of the ingenious six-cell raised-dot reading and writing system for the blind. Louis's compelling story is told in a lively and intimate text, abetted by warm mixed-media illustrations.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(3) K-3 Overcoming Barriers series. Facts about the development and use of Braille and American Sign Language are enhanced with stories of real children learning Braille or ASL. The unique characteristics and importance of each in allowing blind and deaf people to work and live independently is stressed. Full-color photos as well as the alphabet for each are included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Overcoming Barriers titles: What Is Braille? and What Is Sign Language?

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Translated by Elisa Amado. Illustrated by Rosana Faría. A visually stunning book--matte black pages with embossed glossy representations of objects including feathers, kites, and cascading hair--attempts to convey a blind person's perception of colors ("Red is sour like unripe strawberries and as sweet as watermelon"). The premise is condescending (why should blind people concern themselves with colors?), and the parallel Braille text is nowhere near raised enough to read.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Transportation and Communication series. A blandly written, somewhat incomplete text describes some of the equipment used for reading and writing in Braille and explains how Louis Braille created this system. The book is liberally illustrated with color photos of blind individuals (some well-known) and two-dimensional examples of Braille letters and numbers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta