Living Paintings to launch accessible edition of Gruffalo Granny on mainstream publication day

In a landmark publishing moment, children who are blind or partially sighted will not have to wait to enjoy this highly anticipated new picture book.

Living Paintings, a national charity creating unique audio-tactile books and resources for children who are blind or partially sighted, will launch an accessible version of Gruffalo Granny on Thursday 10 September, the same day as the book’s UK mainstream publication.

The launch represents a landmark moment for Living Paintings, as, until now, children with visual impairment have always had to wait for specially adapted versions of new picture books to be available. Living Paintings has worked with Macmillan Children’s Books to ensure this highly anticipated new Gruffalo story is available from its free postal library from day one.

Camilla Oldland, CEO at Living Paintings, said:

“The first new Gruffalo story in more than 20 years is the biggest children’s publishing event of the year, so it was incredibly important that blind children didn’t miss out.

“Too often, accessible books arrive long after the excitement of a new book has faded. Working together with Macmillan Children’s Books we’ve shown that our audio-tactile books can be available from day one and we’re incredibly grateful to them for making this possible.

“We hope this collaboration encourages more publishers to make simultaneous book launches standard practice rather than a rare event.”

The Living Paintings adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s latest story combines raised tactile illustrations, clear braille inserts and an exclusive audio guide read by the voice of Gruffalo Granny, Dame Imelda Staunton. The unique combination of touch and sound allows children who are blind or partially sighted to explore the characters, illustrations and story, and fully immerse themselves in the world of Gruffalo Granny.

Living Paintings Trustee Louis Moorhouse has been blind since he was two years old. He is a freelance musician and audio producer, and managed the studio recording of the Living Paintings audio guide for Gruffalo Granny. He said:

“Experiencing Living Paintings audio-tactile books as a child was genuinely life-changing. The characters and stories I loved, like The Gruffalo, suddenly became something I could explore for myself. I could run my fingers over the tactile images and build a picture in my mind of the characters and scenes I was hearing about. I’m delighted that a new generation of children can now have that same experience with Gruffalo Granny.”

The Living Paintings accessible adaptations were made possible with funding from Macmillan Children’s Books and the Focus Foundation. Beneficiaries can borrow the accessible version of Gruffalo Granny from Living Paintings free postal library by clicking here.

Watch Living Paintings beneficiary Mia receive her copy of Gruffalo Granny on the morning of its publication.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• Dame Imelda Staunton narrates The Gruffalo series for Macmillan Digital Audio
• There are 26,000* blind and partially sighted 0-16 year olds in the UK – *source RNIB data tool
• Living Paintings library service benefits over 5,000 children and young people with vision impairment
• Focus Foundation works with grassroots charities across the country to help them fund projects and initiatives that support communities and transform lives. Click here to find out more.

About Living Paintings

Living Paintings believes that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, explore and enjoy picture books, regardless of their visual ability. The charity provides the UK’s only free postal library of unique audio-tactile books and learning resources for children who are blind or partially sighted.  Each book is hand-crafted by skilled volunteers and combines raised tactile illustrations, clear braille pages and professionally recorded descriptive audio guides, music and sound effects. The charity’s free postal library contains multiple copies of over 400 picture book titles and educational resources and serves thousands of beneficiaries across the UK.

Media Contact

Rachel Woodford, Communications Officer

Tel: 01635 299771

Email: pressoffice@livingpaintings.org