Tactile books
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For two years, I've contributed to Viet Nam's first and largest Braille library. I craft Braille
books
with tactile
images, collaborating closely with visually impaired children. Through braille text and richly
embroidered textures,
tactile books illuminate a world once shrouded in darkness, allowing fingertips to unveil
fantastical
realms never seen
but somehow imagined.
Please click the book to explore
Moonlit Journey: A Little Turtle's Tale
Through Divine Eyes: The First Christmas
- Each page invites active exploration, making learning both interactive and meaningful.
A short story
- A piece of my creative writing that I absolutely love—want to take a look?
journal
- Ah yes, I’m also a journalist, and a pretty promising one!
Moonlit Journey: A Little Turtle's Tale
Is a touching story about baby turtle Tina's first moments of
life, as she and her siblings race from their sandy nest
to the safety of the ocean.
Through encounters with dangerous predators and wisdom from
her Big Brother, Tina learns that her mother's absence is
her greatest act of love, and that sometimes the things that seem like burdens – slow legs and heavy
shells – are
actually gifts for the long journey ahead.
The tactile images are created using fabric, thread, and
various textured materials to represent underwater elements.
The background is made of satin and cotton to simulate the ocean's layers.
Detail:
- The fish, turtle, and seahorse figures are made from plastic and embroidered fabric for
texture, with added beads to
give them a shiny, scaly appearance.
- The raccoon is made from a fuzzy, faux fur fabric to simulate a soft, textured coat.
• The sea plants at the bottom are represented using fabric patches to simulate the
underwater flora.
• The turtle shell is made from textured leather or fabric with a layered pattern to mimic
the texture of a turtle’s
shell.
• Buttons representing turtle eggs.
• Small objects resembling pebbles, made from wooden beads, are attached to the lower part of the
page, adding extra
tactile detail.
• The beach area, crafted from burlap, provides a grainy texture that mimics sand while
creating a contrast against the
animal's soft surface.
Through Divine Eyes: The First Christmas
retells the sacred narrative of Christ's birth through Matthew's
faithful account – from the angel's appearance to
Joseph, to the journey of the Magi following the brilliant star over Bethlehem.
The tactile images in this book are made using a combination
of soft and textured materials.
Scenery detail:
• Blue background fabric: soft cotton represents the
night
sky.
• Green hill: Made from velvety fabric, giving a smooth
yet
slightly textured feel.
• White buildings: cut-out felt pieces attached to
resemble
houses, offering a soft texture.
• Star and smaller stars: The large star is made from yellow
felt with glitter details to add a shiny, rough texture.
Smaller stars is embroidered or made from sequins.
Doll detail:
• Star and smaller stars: The large star is made from yellow
felt with glitter details to add a shiny, rough texture.
Smaller stars is embroidered or made from sequins.
• Clothing: The garments have varied textures,
incorporating materials like silk, felt, and cotton for the robes, with
some embroidered accents for decoration.
• Hair and beards: Made from yarn or wool, giving them a soft
and fluffy texture.
Three Kind Of Love
"Three Kinds of Love" tells the story of a blind boy who
remembers his mothers through a symphony of sensations
His birth mother's jasmine fragrance mixed with her
lullaby voice, protective leather gloves that remind him of his
Braille teacher guiding his hands, and soft dandelions that feel just like the tactile pictures his
English mother
creates.
Through that unique perspective, he wonders: how could
anyone think he's unlucky, when he has three times the love?
Potholes detail: Made of straw
Dandelion detail:
• Created using silver, shiny tinsel-like material to resemble dandelion seeds.
• Their stems are represented with green plastic
ribbons or fabric, which are twisted or shaped to resemble plant
stalks.
Feel How Pretty
“Feel How Pretty!" invites young readers to explore hair care
through their fingertips, combining raised illustrations
with playful questions about daily grooming routines.
From finding the ridges of a comb to tracing the
pattern of a perfect braid, this tactile journey helps visually
impaired children discover the joy and independence of keeping their hair beautiful – one touch at a
time.
Book cover detail:
• The hair is made from synthetic hair to give the feel of real braids.
• The face is made from soft foam pieces (for nose, lips, etc.) and googly eyes to add a playful,
tactile element.
• Paper or cardboard base for structure, with some fabric around the edges for protection.
