Abstract: A talking book and a method of making a talking book in which the switches that operate the book's audio system are carried by inserts placed in lateral channels in the pages of the book that are accessible from the binding-facing edge of the pages. Each page may include a core with an aperture overlain with informational sheets to form a channel, and an insert may be placed into the channel after the informational sheets have been added. The method provides flexibility in locating the switches on the page and prevents inadvertent activation of a switch from another page.

Abstract: An educational device for teaching new readers to recognize characters (e.g., letters, numbers or words) may include a set of books, each having a single theme, and a tray having recesses for holding the books. Each book, and the corresponding recess in the tray, may have a shape related to the particular character that is its theme. By way of example, the set of books may include one book for each letter of the alphabet, one book for each number from one to ten or one book for each of various words that may form a sentence. The tray may take various shapes, including planar and hemispheric, with the recesses in an upward facing surface.