All the Ways I See by Nas Campanella and Eliza Hull illustrated by Sophie Beer

"I can't see the summer, but it's clear in my mind. I hear it, 
I feel it, in my heart all the time."

It is a summer day and so the family head to the beach - mum and dad with their two young daughters. Now it is time for sunscreen and a game with the seaweed followed by the building of a terrific sandcastle. Dad buys some hot chips and then mum and the little girl - the one you can see on the cover of the book, head into the water. 

"She lets me know when waves are coming. I smile as I hear the ocean humming ... The waves brush me lightly."

It seems somehow wrong to say this - but this book is visually so delightful. The little girl on the cover is wearing a vibrant flower design swimsuit and her face glows as she turns towards the sunshine. The end papers are filled with all the all the objects mentioned in the story - shells; ice cream; sunhat; waves; sunscreen; and chips. If you and your young reading companion linger over the end papers you might also see a white cane - go back now - it is also on the cover. My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has just penned a blog post about white canes. 

As you read make sure you notice the way this little girl uses all her other senses - smell, touch, sound and taste. Her day at the beach is just as much fun with mum taking her hand while they swim and dad describing all the special sights. In this book the blind child is the central character - we 'see' the world through her senses.

Huge thanks to Allen and Unwin for my copy of All the Ways I See which was published this week! Make sure you add this beautiful book to your Primary or Preschool library (AUS$24.99). 

The Teachers Notes on the publisher web page have some good discussion points you could use with a group of older students along with an extensive list of related picture books, non fiction and web links.

I wish we had been able to add this book to my former school library where we had a blind student named Nelson. He would be an adult by now, but it would have been so good to share this book with each of his classes as he progressed through our school from kindergarten to Grade Six. 

All the Ways I See is a joyful, lyrical story about a day at the beach from a blind child's perspective as she experiences the baking heat, the sticky sand, the hum of the ocean, the smell of hot chips and the splash of the waves. Readings Melbourne

Most people know what the beach looks like, but could you describe the heat, the smells and the sounds? How would you describe it to someone who couldn’t see what you were looking at? This book does just that. It’s a cool way to experience the beach, and to teach readers that not everyone experiences things the way they do. But most importantly, it’s an utter joyful example of disability representation from three fabulous disabled creatives. The Book Muse

This book is sure to be submitted by IBBY Australia for the prestigious IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities. This collection has two sections. All the Ways I See fits Category One and Category Two.

Category Two 

Portrayals of Disability provide examples of respectful representations of disabilities. ...  In choosing these books, we hope to encourage a more inclusive understanding of disability that gives people a new language to talk about their experiences and validates the experiences of those who are rarely represented in literature.

Nas Campanella is the ABC's National Disability Affairs Reporter. Nas is blind and lives with a neurological condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) which means she can't read braille. After completing a Communications degree at the University of Technology Sydney, majoring in journalism she started with the ABC as a cadet and has worked in several senior roles since including producing, presenting and regional reporting. While working for Triple J she became the world's first blind newsreader to read news live to air. She is passionate about sharing stories from disabled people.

Here is quote from the 2025 IBBY booklet which certainly applies to this new book from Nas Campanella: "People with a specific disability or condition can usually depict their lived experience more easily and authentically than an author who has relied on research."

Category One

Accessible Books includes formats that can help a child or teen to read independently. For those who need to read with a partner, we have chosen formats that allow for as much participation as possible. These formats include braille, sign language, picture communication symbols, tactile books and easy-to-read books.

The IBBY selection committee from Toronto also said: "It is exciting to see enhanced print texts that have additional access points or information. These include QR codes, CDs or digital audio content, braille, sign language, picture communication symbols and better tactile illustrations."

All the Ways I See has accessibility features including easy-to-turn pages with rounded corners and textured elements for a tactile experience. You can feel the shells, the sand, the little girl's hat, sandy footprints, and even the waves. All the Ways I See also has a QR code for an audio and sign language version of this book and there is a website where you can order a braille edition. 

I will update this post in a few days - I am going to an event at Gleebooks where Nas Campanella will talk about her book. 

This book is for every child who experiences the world 

in their own beautiful way. Nas Campanella

Eliza Hull OAM is an award-winning writer, musical artist and disability advocate based in Victoria. A proud disabled woman living with the neurological condition Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Eliza is passionate about amplifying the voices and experiences of people with disability across media, literature and the arts. Her children's book Come Over to My House, co-written with children's author Sally Rippin, celebrates friendship, accessibility and inclusive play, introducing young readers to disability through joyful and everyday experiences. It was a CBCA Notable Book and named in the Guardian top 10 children's books of all time. In 2026, Eliza received an Order of Australia Medal in recognition of her service to people with disability and the arts. 

I previously talked about this book by Sophie Beer:

Thunderhead

Companion books:

The Sound of Colours

The Seeing Stick

The Black Book of Colours

I Love Vincent