Flower Blind

by

Illustrated by

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Chat was born blind. Her eyes had never seen her parents, or her brother and sister. She knew their faces by touch.

  1. Have you tried walking with your eyes closed? If you do, be sure to be with someone else to stay safe.
  2. When you don’t see, you become much more aware of your other senses. Which senses do you notice more when you close your eyes?
  3. A rectangle is a four-sided shape like this page. A square is a rectangle with four equal sides. Point to the squares and rectangles you see on this page.
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One day, Chat was strolling in the garden.

She liked the sweet scent of flowers.

She loved to touch their soft petals.

  1. There are many things to count here. Count together the trees, butterflies, canes, shoes, and any other groups you notice.
  2. Which of these groups can Chat count?
  3. Which of these groups has the most in it and which has the least?
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Chat wished she could see flowers, just once.

“They are lovely,” she said to herself.

  1. There are five blue flowers and five yellow-orange flowers. How many is that all together?
  2. If you include the yellow-orange flower that Chat is holding, that would be one more. What is one more than five?
  3. How many more blue flowers are there than butterflies?
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Every day, Chat walked in the garden. She knew her way around.

Today, she raised her head to the skies.

  1. Do you see the surprise on her face? What is she surprised about?
  2. She can’t see the clouds. What can she sense about what is happening?
  3. What is going on in the sky? What do you think is about to happen?
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Suddenly, she heard thunder and lightning.

“I need to hurry back to the house,” Chat thought.

  1. Have you ever been outside someplace when a storm came up quickly? Did you get wet?
  2. Do you like watching lightning?
  3. Do you find lightning scary or fun when you are outside?
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Rain began to fall.

Chat slipped, lost her balance and fell.

She hit her head on a stone.

  1. Head injuries can be very serious. Do you think Chat will be okay?
  2. There are colors going from yellow to light red to red in this picture. Point to them and describe them.
  3. Point to and describe the colors going from yellow to various greens in the picture.
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When Chat woke up, there were people around her.

“What happened?” she asked.

  1. Count together the people in Chat’s family. Did you include Chat?
  2. Can you tell by looking at their faces what each person is feeling?
  3. There are many colors here! Which of the colors of the rainbow are missing in this picture?
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“You fell and bumped your head,” her father said.

“We are so thankful that you are fine,” said her mother.

  1. There is a fun circular pattern on Chat’s bed. Are there more blue circles or red circles?
  2. Describe some pretty patterns around where you are.
  3. Find the rectangles in this picture and around where you are.
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“Daddy, mummy?” asked Chat. She also called the names of her brother and sister. “Please, get me a flower.” Everyone was surprised.

  1. Why is everyone surprised?
  2. Why is everyone looking so happy?
  3. Can you count all the circles on her bed, or is it too many? Can you count other things, such as eyes, arms, or noses?
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Her sister returned with a flower.

Chat held it gently. “It is so lovely,” she said.

  1. Imagine what it is like to see the world for the first time. What would you most want to see?
  2. Which side of her head did she hit on the rock and which side is bandaged? Hmmm ...?
  3. Can you find all the rectangles in this picture? Some of them are a bit sneaky.
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Her family looked at one another.

“Chat, can you see the flower?” her mother asked.

  1. What emotion do you see on each person’s face?
  2. Have you known anyone who suddenly got much better from an illness?
  3. Have you known anyone who was blind?
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Chat played with the flower in her hand.

“You are all so beautiful, just like this flower,” she smiled.

  1. Point out some of the new rectangles in this picture.
  2. This is a very happy ending! Did you think the story would end this way?
  3. Some people become doctors because they like helping people to have happy endings like this.

You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:

Flower blind
Author — Nathaniel Bivan
Translation — Nathaniel Bivan
Illustration — Kenneth Boyowa Okitikpi
Language — English
Level — First sentences
© African Storybook Initiative 2018
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org

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