Resource
Juniper and the Red Swoosh: a multi-modal children’s book designed to teach and empower through storytelling, math, and tactile learning
Written by Juniper Eisenberg, a third-grade student who is visually impaired, and co-authored by her mother, Chi-Hoon Kim, the book follows the clever and curious Juniper as she journeys to Corn Market and faces off with a mysterious red creature, using her abacus to solve puzzles and stay on course. Designed to be both fun and educational, the story invites readers to follow along — setting beads on their 3D-Click™ abacus while learning abacus logic. The book is presented in large print with braille overlay, and includes colorful illustrations and calculations created by Eisenberg, along with sidebars that offer step-by-step abacus instructions and a short history of the tool.
Juniper and the Red Swoosh is the first original publication from the Tactile Literacy Program at Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Clovernook Center’s Tactile Literacy Program, led by Sam Foulkes, director of braille production and accessible innovation, is geared toward creating accessible books that can be read by sighted individuals and people with blindness or low vision at the same time
Juniper and the Red Swoosh was brought to life in partnership with the Mountain Lakes Library Makerspace, a nationally recognized innovation lab housed at the Mountain Lakes Public Library in Mountain Lakes, NJ.
Founded in 2016 by Ian Matty and Christina Kelly, the ML Makerspace is rooted in the principles of Universal Design — creating tools, technologies, and experiences that are inclusive by design, accessible to all, and impactful across ability, age, and background. Over the past decade, the Makerspace has grown into a hub for teamwork, creative problem-solving, and transformative educational impact.
Eisenberg and Kim collaborated with the Mountain Lakes Public Library Makerspace and Clovernook Center to develop their story into a published multi-modal book, supported, in part, by a grant from the Scripps Howard Fund, which paid for the prototyping of the 3D printed abacus.
This abacus features a tactile and auditory “click-and-bump” system designed by ML Makerspace alumnus Richard He, a mechanical engineer. It gives users feedback as they set and clear beads, transforming a simple math tool into an interactive learning experience for all readers, regardless of visual ability.
Juniper and the Big Red Swoosh the culmination of months of teamwork and shared creativity. It brings together multiple disciplines—storytelling, art and design, history, mathematics, and engineering. The Clovernook and Makerspace teams were able to realize Juniper’s dream of an accessible and engaging book that could be read and experienced by all readers.
From the outset of the project, empowerment and accessibility have been the creators’ primary goals. As Chi-Hoon Kim states, “this book project fueled Juniper’s drive to be an active participant in her community: to raise awareness, give back, and bridge differences.”
The book is available for purchase at Clovernookprints.org.
To learn more about the project, please visit the book website at JuniperandtheRedSwoosh.com.
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