August 2008 Archives

Things have been busy in the office, of late, so I hope you'll forgive me for being remiss in my blogging duties.

This week's book is Am I a Color Too?, written by mother-daughter team Nancy Vogl and Heidi Cole. Accomapanied by the stunning illustrations of Gerald Purnell, Am I a Color Too? tells the story of Tyler, a young interracial boy who wonders at the labels of race. He says,

My dad, my mom, and me...
Black, White, and ...
am I a color too?

I think I'm a person,
A person just like you.

He also notices that color has no bearing on how a person sings, feels, dances, or dreams. This is a wonderful book for introducing children to the concept of race. It may be especially helpful for an interracial child, who may be struggling, just like Tyler, with how to identify himself.

At the International New Age Trade Show this past June, our president, John Thompson, filmed a short video, to share a little bit of our background and read excerpts from several of our titles. If you're interested in meeting the man behind all of our books, check out the video below, or watch it directly on YouTube.

Every child should read Charlotte's Web, on their own or with a parent. Over at NPR, there's a great story by Melissa Block on the history of E.B. White's children's novel. Did you know that White specifically removed facial features from Garth Williams' illustrations of Charlotte? Or that he fought tooth-and-nail to keep the death of Charlotte in the animated Hanna-Barbera cartoon?

The article is a terrific read for anyone who's ever loved the talented spider.

[via Fuse #8]