A new app has been developed by the smartphone manufacturer Huawei to help deaf children learn how to read and enjoy books fully.

StorySign is the product of partnerships with a number of charities, including the British Deaf Association, publisher Penguin and animators Aardman.

The first book to feature on the app will be Where’s Spot?, which young deaf audiences will be able to enjoy when parents or guardians hold their smartphone up to the text.

Star, StorySign’s in-app avatar, will sign the words as they are highlighted in the text in the book, aiding understanding of the links between the printed words and how they are communicated in everyday life.

Andrew Garrihy, chief marketing officer of Huawei Western Europe, said: “At Huawei, we believe in the power of AI and that technology can make a positive difference in the world.

“We created StorySign to help make it possible for families with deaf children to enjoy an enriched story time.”