A portable display device includes a display formed with electronic paper, an illuminating unit, and a controller. The electronic paper displays data in response to applied electrical current, and maintains displaying of the data in an absence of the applied electrical current. The illuminating unit selectively illuminates each particular region of a plurality of regions of the display and includes a plurality of light sources which are individually associated with one or more of the plurality of regions of the display. The controller activates the illuminating unit, selectively activating a first group of the plurality of light sources to illuminate a particular region of the display responsive to user contact, and the first group includes at least one of the plurality of light sources.