3 JUNE 1966, Page 24

Edith Fisher Hunter's Child of the Silent Night (Macdonald, 12s.

6d.) deals with a painful subject subtly and sometimes profoundly. It is also a brave story, since it concerns the first blind and deaf child to 'talk' and 'hear.' Laura is the chief character and it is she who, despite all her hap& caps, makes a joyful discovery of the external world. Her very disadvantages give a special tenderness to the strange life she discovers and leads. Bea Holmes's illustrations to this book are full of understanding.