Tactile picture books: their importance for young blind children

A mother of a blind four-year-old brings out the pleasure and the information gained by her daughter from tactile picture books. The comparison is made with the girl's eight-year-old brother as he grabs the new picture book his mother has bought. The argument is made that books with pictures are both a source of joy and learning in themselves as well as a precursor and stimulus to the reading of text. The mother makes a persuasive case for tactile books being given a higher priority by publishers, especially the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB).