Imagine Braille/Print Happening!

Wow! Lots of things have been happening since my last post -- especially pertaining to my children's book I Can't See, But...I Can Imagine. I have had several speaking engagements, farmer's markets, bazaars, school talks, etc. All that is 'normal' marketing. The biggest accomplishment if finally getting the book in Braille/print!

It is a HUGE issue for me to feel I may help blind children struggling to find something in this world that makes a difference in his/her life.

A CD accompaning the book goes word for word with the text of the book and music. (The book is written around 5 of my blind grandmother's delightful children's songs.) Since I don't read Braille, I had it transcribed and edited twice to be certain it is correct. My goal is to have it be a great learning tool for a person learning Braille.

This is an entirely new market for me. If any of you 'out there' have any ideas about that I would love to hear them.

I am doing two types of Braille/print books. One is done with Braillon onlay using the existing book. The other is produced by the American Printing House for the Blind. APH will use the existing pages with a spiral binding. It will have a hard cover like the original book, but a new spine. There will be plastic Braille see-through sheets between the pages. I have the Braillon copies now and will have the books from APH very soon. When I have both available they will be on my website http://www.icantseebuticanimagine.com/ and people can choose between the two types of Braille/print books.

My book in Braille/print will be a huge blessing for a blind child because it will:

• Help a child to learn Braille because the CD goes word for word with the book. I realize since the CD is accompanying the book the child already has access to the words, but my goal is to use the combination as a teaching tool for the child/teacher.
• Encourage interaction with loved ones in the seeing world because it is Braille/print
• Encourage the love of music
• Assist teachers in teaching music. Included on the CD are all five sound tracts without the vocals so the child can learn the words from the book and do a 'sing-a-long' adding his/her own voice to the music.
• Encourage imagination
• Help the child know it is possible to have a rewarding life by cultivating his/her talents.

I believe my grandmother, Persis Beach Bennett, would be delighted to know she is responsible for all of this. Without her delightful children's music, there would be no book called

I Can't See, But...I Can Imagine!