junko watanabe created the special books they are exploring. she has been making them for 35 years as a way to give disabled children opportunities to learn. >> reporter: watanabe uses felt, kimono material, and other fabrics. details include embroidery, buttons, and string. children can practice tying and untying, buttoning and unbuttoning, while touching the books. these exercises can foster independen independence. >> translator: sometimes a mother calls me to let me know a cloth book inspired her child's first words. that makes me so happy it brings tears to my eyes. >> reporter: watanabe has asemled a group of volunteers who help make the books and donate them to libraries around japan. so far the group has given more than 20,000 books to around 500 libraries. this library in a tokyo suburb has 300 of them. aiko and her 8-year-old son daisuke live nearby. daisuke was diagnosed with down syndrome at birth. when he was a year and a half old, he started coming to the library with his mother to borrow cloth books. a book introducing musical no