Lantana (5+) 9781915244765 (Hardback) Download activities and reading resources pack
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An inclusive and innovative tale that shows the colour and energy that stories can bring into our lives. Readers are given admission into a beautiful, old building where they are invited to imagine the rich and colourful stories that are housed there. A book lies hidden from sight in this impressive library. Nobody has read the book, until, one day, a visually impaired girl finds it and is able to read it as it is written in Braille.
The illustrations in this book come alive through their use of colour and textures. Much use is made of space and the predominant use of whites and greys in addition to double page spreads adds to a feeling of expansiveness. Distinctive paper-cut techniques are combined with watercolours which gradually seep out from white folds to reveal a hidden story. The experiences of a non-sighted reader are shown in a way which promotes understanding, empathy and an awareness of Braille. Textured, unique and timeless, the memorable artwork lifts the story from the page.
Illustrator’s Video
Shadowers’ Challenge
Please complete the form below and click 'submit' to send your review to your Shadowing Group Leader.
Wen Hsu Chen is a Costa Rican artist and architect who graduated with
BFA Honors from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her watercolor and
cut-out paper technique has earned her multiple awards, including the
Grand Prize at the NOMA Concours 2008.
A touching story of who a little book is wanted to be read ,but when somebody comes near it will whisper “please don’t read me I am a ghost.”Then a girl comes and read the book. IT UNDERSTANDS.📚📖
Lyla
Dovery Reading Gladiators
SophieBella
BFS Umbra Readers
Lacey
BFS Umbra Readers
Evelyn
BFS Umbra Readers
Daisy
BFS Umbra Readers
Emily
BFS Umbra Readers
James
Inkscape Critics
Florence
Inkscape Critics
Amelia
Inkscape Critics
Amy
Inkscape Critics
Emil
Inkscape Critics
Thomas
Inkscape Critics
I really loved "The Invisible Story". It was so different to all the other books I have read, mostly due to the lack of colour but it did leave a lasting impression on me. I thought it was great and gave it 9/10.
Emilie
Rebel Readers
This story is about a chameleon hiding in places it is well illustrated and good for little kids to learn about different animals hiding in places.
Rayan
Forest Reading Rebels
Sophia
Dovery Reading Gladiators
The book is about a story book which has never been read before. We get to find out what the book thinks and he is scared of being read because he feels he is diffrent but still wants a reader. I love the story bacause it is all about going for things even when you are scared and acknowledging how things are special in their own way. The illustrations are really pretty. The pictures are tottally white and you think they are textured, but when you touch them, you realise they aren't!!! I love the contrast with the colourful elements, like a collage. My favourite part is when the little girl, who is blind, discovers the Braille in the book. I would absolutely recommend it because it is very pretty and fun to read.
Zara
Sandroyd Bookivores
I like how detailed the front cover is but in terms of the actual story, it feels as if it ends too soon. If you added a story mountain layout it would have been better but other than that I love the illustration and the message!
Eliza
TLA Readers
The illustrations were quite extravagant and unique, which kept me thoroughly engaged with the themes presented. The moral of the story was also very heartwarming, however the plot really just lacked anything that made the process of reading it fun or of substance.
Alfie
TLA Readers
This was such a wonderful book! It starts off with a story that nobody reads, but it turns out it's a book written in Braille. A blind girl helps the story discover that it isn't invisible or blank at all! It is just slightly different from other stories. It's such an empowering book about celebrating differences. I loved how there was a little backstory on Braille at the back of the book too. I think this was a great story and will be loved by many people in the future.
Clara
Sheringdale Page Turners
This book has a strong attachment to people with blindness, as different views of a blind person reading could be seen quite pointless to others. This book shows people who might not know much or anything about braille that reading can still be something enjoyable for blind people. The design of the book is unique, the detailed art style linking to the subject and point of the book. The 3d like design comes back to the subject of braille which overall makes everything link together, overall i found this book very enjoyable to read and would definitely recommend it to others.
Emily
BFS Umbra Readers
I really liked this book. I think that the illustrations are really beautiful and I love the pop up aspect. I think it is a amazing idea. The story is really interesting and nice and I will definitely recommend it to other people.
Evelyn
BFS Umbra Readers
the cover of the invisible story is gorgeous. The simplicity of the white background is nice, but when you look closer, the detail is even more fascinating.
grace
BFS Umbra Readers
Isla
Sandroyd Bookivores
I love the illustrations as they stand out on a plain background. The illustrations look really nice as they are the only thing in colour so it stands out really well.
Sophia
Great Coates
This is about a girl who found a book that was blank and I like it a lot. I liked the illustrations because of the patterns. My favourite part was when the girl found the book and read it. It was a blind girl and the book is not blank, it is in Braille. I would choose it because of the patterns.
Quinn
Sandroyd Bookivores
This book is about a book in a library. The book thinks his pages are blank but they are written in Braille, a reading system for blind people. A little girl reads the book, showing the book that every story is different. I love the story because it is told from the books' point of view, not the reader! The illustrations are made to look like a paper cut, and the coulours look like water colours. I like the illustrations because they have lots of details. My favourite part is when the book discovers that it was written in Braille, and there fore his pages weren't blank but had a story to tell. I would recommend this book to kids more than adults. I am pretty sure that whoever reads this book will enjoy it!
Emilio
Sandroyd Bookivores
I feel like the illustrations have a minimalist style, but they were still really beautiful and helped tell the story. The whole book was practically just white, though that made the vibrant “tissue paper” bits stand out a lot!
Eunice
Sale High Readers
This book is very heartfelt, emotional and quite amazingly sad (in a good way). I've always been moved by Braille, and this fabulous book shows how isolated blind people can feel and how many people go through that every day. This book is a must-read!
Emily
AE Shadow-readers
I really enjoyed reading ‘The Invisible Story’ because the pictures look 3D and the stories look like flowers have been pressed onto a design to make them! Adding onto that, the backgrounds look card and like someone has actually made them! The drawings are so sweet and colourful they make me smile. I love how on page 18 there’s a simile: ‘The girl laughed, a laugh that was as bright as a butterfly.’, then on page 17 (the page before), a butterfly flies out the book representing the simile! The designs are decorative, for example, on the front cover: birds, flowers and swirls all have different colours and moods. The birds, green and happy, the flowers, purple and sad or bouncy and the swirls, red and angry! The illustrations make me imagine: stories all chatting and having fun at a party or having fun at a party or having a debate on who’s the more popular book! I feel there is a combination of the images being static and them moving about. On page 1 how can you not believe that the pictures are moving about or dancing in the air! by Amy
William Patten
Hackney Primary Reading Champions
The Invisible Story, by Jaime Gamboa and illustrated by Wen Hsu Chen, is a beautiful book that celebrates the strength of Braille and the importance of inclusive storytelling. The book tells the story of an seemingly blank book that, when touched, reveals its invisible story through raised dots. Chen’s complex paper-cut and watercolor artwork illustrates the story, highlighting reading as a tactile experience in all its beauty. The book both introduces young readers to Braille and honors the value of all forms of storytelling, provoking tender emotions for Braille readers and a fine way of teaching non-Braille readers about Braille.
Alex
The WH shadowers
The invisible story is a book that has a lot of meaning. There is a book in a library that is always neglected by all of the children. Then a girl comes and picks up the book. The book says that she should read another book in the library. The book said it had no pictures or words but the girl reads the book anyway and the book realises it was different in another way. It was for the blind. I love this story because it shows that everyone is different but everyone belongs. I would recommend this book to people who stand out.
Isla
Sandroyd Bookivores
This book is about a girl who is blind. She is in a library and everyone is just walking past this one book. She is running her hands across the stories to feel if any of them have braille on them (braille is a type of alphabet specifically for blind people). There is one book in the library that thinks it is forgotten just because it is written in braille and has no words but she decides to read it and she really likes it . My favourite part was when the girl actually picked the book up as it was not feeling forgotten.
Azan
Read to succeed
Emina
Sheringdale Page Turners
This is a touching book and inspiring. I think people who are blind would like this book since it tells people about how they understand things. I loved how the author expressed how the book is understood as empty since it is written on braille not with written words. 100% recommend.
Emina
Sheringdale Page Turners
The Invisible Story is a great book. I think this because I love the fact that it describes braille (a form of dots and lines for a non-sighted person to read) and I like the message behind the story. I rate this book a 9.5 out of 10. I recommend this book to people who are interested in learning about braille.
Aarav
Bispham Bookworms
It is about an invisible book which a girl reads with her hands we like it a bit because it is creative. It looks 3D but it is not and the colour is like cotton we like the illustrations. Our favourite bit was when the girls read the book. We do recommend it because at the end it talks about books for blind people.
Xander and Max
Sandroyd Bookivores
I feel like this book is a very heart warming book and blind people would really like it as there isn't many pictures and instead in the book there is a bit where blind people can there finger on it and see what it says so I really like that but my favourite bit is when the girl grabs the book but then the book starts speaking telling her to not read it but she opens the book and finds out its for blind people. Overall I rate this book a 4/5.
Rene
Sheringdale Page Turners
This book includes a girl who is visually impaired, which is very unique and fresh. The illustrations describe how people may feel being blind and how the world may seem like a blank screen to them. I would say this book is inclusive and amazing but if the author had raised some of the images or given us some braille text, I think this book would've stood out even more to me. Just wanted to feel the texture and get a sense of what the girl is feeling when she touches the book for the first time.
anna
Rebel Readers
I think if I could rate this story I would rate it 8/10 because it's about how all books are amazing, anybody can read them no matter who they are.
Erin
Danum Doodlers Does Books
Olivia
Danum Doodlers Does Books
Lawrence
Danum Doodlers Does Books
Finty & Euan
Danum Doodlers Does Books
I like this book because it has braille in it. 25/10
Riley
Danum Doodlers Does Books
The Invisible Story was fabulous! I particularly loved how the book highlighted braille and told the story in a really sensitive way. I was amazed at the attention to detail and the technique of paper cutting required to showcase this story. Some pages were full of colour and mystery. This book is really wonderful.
DAVID
Rebel Readers
Peter
Academy Book Gurus
The Invisible story is a very interesting book with a great moral. The initial start of the story was confusing but as you progress into the story it does get a lot better. And that's when you also get the main point and moral of the story, and illustrations are a big part in this story as it gives the reader a lot more information on the moral and in general just makes it more interesting, and fun. So overall this story is a very eye catching one because of its colourful illustrations and deep meaning.
Aaron
Academy Book Gurus
The Invisible Story is a book that shows you how everyone in the world is different and and it is fine to be who you are. They've described this brilliantly.
Sean
Academy Book Gurus
This started as a story of fear that then turned into a story of understanding. It showed that everyone is different but that we are all human beings.
Anton
Bacon and Eggs Literary Society
The colors tell the story well and i agree with the age its aimed at because the illustrations work well to help the imagination of a young child. I would recommend this to my family with young children because its a great read that tells the story of how anyone can enjoy reading if they thought it wasn't for them. I really liked how the book was invisible to start with and then the magic of the book and the magic of reading and finding the right book for you was developed and told.
Jayden
The WH shadowers
The invisible story is not what I expected it to be about which I was wrong to do (don't judge a book by it's cover). This lovely book about a lonely book not to be found and not to be read and even ashamed of itself until that little girl came along... That little girl taught the book and me that nothing is really empty, you just have to look deeper even if its scary. The illustrations are cleverly done expressing the characters from books and even the readers emotions. Perfect for the age group it's written for - an eye opener for every reader.
Josh
The WH shadowers
The invisible story is about a book that is hidden because it has no colours and it’s at the back of a bookshelf and no one reads at but it’s in braille and a blind girl reads it. It’s good and I would recommend the book to KS2 person. I would like it if it had braille and I could touch it
Eva
Barrow Bookworms
Invisible It’s okay because it’s about a lonely book in the corner by a blind girl but nobody likes it because it has only got braille i would recomend this to KS2 and KS1
Ruby
Barrow Bookworms
This book allows the reader to explore their own reasons as to why the book has never been read, I found the reason why to be wonderful! It shows the true power of reading and stories – the magic of each story and how we don’t just read with our eyes but truly ‘feel’ a story. It’s a unique and beautiful way to introduce the topic of Braille and sight impairment to young children and this is represented in Wen Hsu Chen’s watercolour paper cuttings.
Mrs Whittaker
The WH shadowers
