By Jenny Lacika
Illustrated by Ashanti Fortson
Atheneum / Simon & Schuster, 2026
32 pages
978-1-6659-1267-9
Ages 7-12
Nowadays, readers might take the existence of audiobooks for granted, given the ever-increasing number of listening devices and availability of titles. Thanks to the ingenuity and persistence of Dr. Robert B. Irwin, the concept of “talking books” is an accessible and popular way of enjoying books. Born in 1883, Robert Benjamin Irwin became blind at the age of five due to an eye inflammation. When his visual world went dark, his auditory world stepped up. A lover of nature, young Robert listened to the sounds of the seashore and birdsong. Eventually sent to a boarding school for children with disabilities, he learned to finger-read raised text like braille, but reading longer books was slow and tedious. “Robert wished he could listen to a story like he listened to the birds. He dreamed of recordings—stories that spoke the words aloud—to play whenever he wanted. Talking books.” As an adult, Robert brought his dream and determination to his work with the American Foundation for the Blind. Digitally rendered illustrations portray Dr. Irwin’s forward-focused advocacy as he surveyed libraries and blind readers across the country and testified to Congress. Motifs of birds and birdsong accent the portrayal of his dedicated efforts to engineer the special records and secure the availability of record players through the Library of Congress for blind and visually impaired Americans. A final two-page spread shows readers of all ages and abilities over the decades enjoying talking books on the devices du jour. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center