Project Overview: Growing up, the bookshelves in my home were always bursting with picture books, and many of them still are, even as the novels pile up on every surface for lack of room. I have long enjoyed reading, and credit my books with my interest in learning. This project came about as an attempt to make this love for reading and learning accessible to more people. When my brother was attending public school, it was said that the only thing he truly got out of the experience was the germs. The classrooms were overcrowded, and there was a single aide to help four children with various complex needs navigate kindergarten. None of those children made much progress on their ability to recognize words or sounds because there simply was not enough time and resources to dedicate to them. My mother began making simple books herself in order to help my brother catch up with his peers, and they had a profound effect on the growth of his skills. However, it is a time-consuming process to make these books, and I found myself thinking about all of the parents and teachers who do not have the time or ability to hand-make or purchase literary tools for their children. I did some research on how literacy is best taught to learners with developmental delays or learning disabilities and found that it is resources, and proper timing for phonics-based instruction, that are often absent in current teaching strategies, and proper engagement and physical accommodation that was lacking in children’s books. The resulting project includes a brief introduction to teaching literacy, and why it should be done intentionally, as well as two children’s books that I wrote and illustrated to accommodate recommended design elements for two reading levels, as well as flashcards to be cut out, for better learning.