Helen Keller

For Helen Keller, "w-a-t-e-r" was a cool, slippery splash. "S-u-n" was the warm afternoon glow coating her skin. "L-i-l-y" was a sweet-smelling petal, soft and delicate to her touch. After an illness left her blind and deaf, Helen relied on her senses of touch and smell to help compensate for her loss. And then she met her teacher, Annie Sullivan, who showed her a new way to give meaning to the world around her. But most of all, Annie gave Helen a special gift of love. With lyrical prose and richly illustrated paintings, virtuoso author-and-artist team Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome share an inspiring story of a courageous young girl. This evocative portrait reminds us that there are many ways to experience the world through the senses--but the most important things in life are savored within the heart.