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About The Book

About the Book

The title of the book Grandpa's White Cane is in the upper left corner. Just below the title is the name of the authors Jim Hoxie and Joanna Jones, as well as the illustrator Alex Portal. The caricature of Grandpa is confidently caning along the cement path by Spearfish Creek. The caricature is drawn on the photograph of the creek and the walk path. On the top one-third of the back cover is the two sentence blurb inviting the reader to open the book. The bottom one-third has the logo of the Lions International and a four sentence statement about Lions Clubs commitment to helping blind and low vision individuals. The lower right hand corner has the ISBN number and the bar code for the book. All of the text has been placed on a photograph of Spearfish Creek.

When the book is opened to see the front and back covers, Spearfish Creek along the walk path becomes visible. 

About the Authors

Jim Hoxie worked as a professional forester. He spent many years hunting and gardening. His eyesight greatly declined and in 2017 he attended the Central Blind Rehabilitation Center, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Chicago. It was there he learned living skills training, technical training with the I-phone, computer skills, and orientation and mobility training. The highlight was the orientation and mobility training with the tall white cane. Today, Jim shares his story through the children's picture book entitled Grandpa's White Cane.

Authors Joanna Jones and Jim Hoxie.

Authors Joanna Jones and Jim Hoxie. 

Joanna Jones taught school for forty years. She has helped friends write children's picture books. Today, living in New Mexico, she is reading and sharing the books she has written.

Alex Portal worked for the Black Hills Pioneer Newspaper as an editorial cartoonist, photographer and reporter. He is a member of the National Cartoonists Society. He won several awards for his cartoons including “Best Original Editorial Cartoon” from the South Dakota Newspaper Association. He used mixed media to illustrate Grandpa's White Cane.

Jim’s Journey with the White Cane

Jim’s story shows how challenges can lead to purpose. Through training and determination, he gained independence and began educating others around the world.

Read Jim’s Story

Learn More About Our Impact

Grandpa’s White Cane is raising awareness about blindness and the white cane. The book and presentations have reached thousands of people around the globe. Together, these efforts are helping others better understand and support those who are visually impaired.

Read the Impact Story

What Readers Are Saying

Readers and professionals praise Grandpa’s White Cane as a powerful and easy-to-understand tool for building awareness. From classrooms to communities around the world, the book is helping people better understand and support those who are blind or visually impaired.

Read Reviews
Book Review

Silent visual display of each page of the book. The display presents each page for 25 seconds. To view the book pages faster, watch the YouTube. Blind readers should request BARD DBC 06000 to hear the book. 

Grandpa's White Cane is an audio ‘talking book’ in the National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Print Disabled sponsored by the Library of Congress. The book has been assigned the Braille and Audio Reading Download access number BARD DBC06000.

Grandpa's White Cane is available from Amazon in hardcover, paperback and kindle formats. While supplies last, request from the authors a free copy of the book for your school or city library. Address information is at the bottom of the page. Sighted communities need to know how to help people who are blind or have low vision.

Grandpa’s White Cane on NLS Online Catalog. Here is a link to the record in the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled online catalog, which also links to BARD for those with BARD accounts.

To sign up for the Talking Book network library in your state to access BARD for those with standard print reading disabilities. https://www.loc.gov/nls/find-your-library/

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