Packs for children with additional needs
Bookstart is for every child, so in England, these packs are made available to families in addition to any other Bookstart packs they may receive. A set amount of packs are given to each local authority's Bookstart Coordinator, who can be contacted via your health visitor, health clinic, early years setting or local library.
Bookstart Shine for children who are deaf
There are two packs: Bookstart Shine Baby (0-2 years old) and Bookstart Shine Toddler (3-5 years old). Each pack has a book and guidance around sharing books.
Other resources and support
- Find ideas for books to share in the Bookstart Shine booklist
- Download our leaflet Bookstart Shine: A guide to enjoying books and reading with deaf children
- Read and sign along with BSL videos in our Storybooks and Games section. You'll find fantastic stories such as A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea, Oh No, George!, Everybunny Dance! and Owl Babies, as well as lots of colouring and mark-making games.
- Visit the website of NCDS (National Deaf Children's Society)
Bookstart Touch for children with vision impairment
There are two packs: Bookstart Touch Baby (0-2 years old) and Bookstart Touch Toddler (3-5 years old). Each pack has a touch-and-feel book and guidance around sharing books with children with vision impairment.
Other resources and support
- Find ideas for books to share in the Bookstart Touch booklist
- Download our leaflets: our guide to enjoying books and reading with children and young people with visual impairment, and Bookstart Touch: Access to Reading, a guide to finding books for children and young people with vision impairment.
- Visit the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) website
- Visit Clearvision Project – a postal lending library for children and young people with vision impairment
Bookstart Star for children with conditions affecting their fine motor skills
This pack is available for children aged 3-5 who have disabilities that impact on or delay the development of their fine motor skills. Each pack includes a book, a finger puppet, and a guide to using your finger puppet and reading with children.
Disability expert Alex Strick says that consulting children is key to producing books that appeal to visually impaired and sighted audiences alike.
Download the Bookstart Star accessible booklist
Please note that books contained within the packs may differ from those pictured.
