07/09/2026
Leila Hanuami, a Deaf Asian-American accessibility advocate, content creator, entrepreneur, and artist, created the Midori Series, writing and signing each story with support from illustrator Issac Liang, a Deaf Chinese Singaporean based in Bangkok and Singapore. She also shared why this series matters to her and what she loved most about the creative process.
You can enjoy the Midori Series in the Bilingual Bookshelf app right now: clerc.cc/bsbapp.
The Midori Series includes:
• Midori Does It Herself
• Midori Takes Her Time
• Midori Is Happy and Sad
• Midori Won’t Say Good Night
• Midori Dreams at Night
Families, if you have a child under the age of 3, sign up for free access to the books in the app at https://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/real/bookshelf-app/.
Explore the Midori Series and let us know which story is your favorite!
Video Description: There is a blue background with faded books. Bilingual Stories Bookshelf app icon is at the top and the C REAL logo is at the bottom. The middle shows a video of Leila wearing a navy blue buttoned short sleeve shirt with her hair down. She has green and yellow pillows on top of a black cubed shelf. She is signing as captions appear. At the end of the video, text shows: Get yours now. Blue box: Download the app. A screenshot of the Bilingual Bookshelf app is shown. Next, a blue box: Books Coming Soon. Five Midori books are shown, then a blue box: press.gallaudet.edu. Next, a bluebox: Special Access. White text: If you are a family with a deaf or hard of hearing child (birth to age 3), you may be eligible to receive a free subscription code! A photo of a toddler reading Let’s Sleep with her mom. Blue box: clerc.cc/bsbapp.
