Becky Fogarty hand-sews interactive felt versions of picture books, then animates them. She created this amazing Bean Thirteen interactive book, and when I saw it, I had to find out how she did it.

Becky calls her felt creations quiet books, and her particular style has handles on top and a buckle or velcro closure around the middle for quick and easy portability. She creates the animations show what the pieces do, and what the pages might look like when you play with them.

Becky has been sewing since she was little, but started making the felt books three years ago as tactile alternatives to electronic screens for her son. Now, Becky has found that adults love the books as much as the kids do, and she’s made several books for adults, each one custom to their likes and interests. Follow her on Instagram at @quietbooksbybecky

One of the best parts of being an author is when a foreign edition of one of my books arrives. I feel like it’s a glimpse into an alternate universe where things are almost – but not quite – the same. When the book is set in a supercool Korean typeface, the effect is magnified all the more.

(Plus, I just love the thought that children in Korea – who I will never meet – will be reading this book I wrote one long winter far away in upstate New York.)