None of the events I presented at in Madison last week had much to do with children’s books, but I brought a copy of Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound with me anyway. I always do.
Here's Anthony's depiction of my bread-baking, from Hanni and Beth, Safe & Sound.
Strangers who meet us often ask what Hanni and I are doing on the road. “I’m a writer,” I tell them, whipping the book out of my bag and waving it in their general direction. This makes them uncomfortable. I know. They’re just sure this book the blind lady is thrusting towards them is an amateur piece of work. After an initial silence, I hear the pages start to turn. Gasps. “It’s beautiful!” they say, unable to hide the surprise in their voices.
It was a very, very lucky day for me when Blue Marlin Publications chose Anthony Alex LeTourneau to illustrate my children’s book. This week debut authors Karen Duncan and Kate Hannigan Issa are enjoying that same lucky fate: Blue Marlin Publications launched Karen and Kate’s new children’s book last Friday, and it features illustrations by, who else? Anthony Alex LeTourneau! The Good Fun! Book: 12 Months of Parties That Celebrate Service is filled with fun ideas to encourage elementary school children to participate in service projects that can make a real difference. Here’s an excerpt From a guest post Kate wrote for Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Sensations blog:
So we presented our ideas to Blue Marlin Publications, a small house out of New York with a big commitment to giving back. Publisher Francine Poppo Rich – who had published fellow Chicago children’s author Beth Finke’s award-winning Hanni and Beth, Safe & Sound (Blue Marlin, 2007) and donated five percent of proceeds to Seedlings Braille Books For Children, a nonprofit in Michigan that sells their Braille books for less than $10 each – had a track record for giving back. It felt like a good fit.
The Good Fun Book will make a great holiday gift. And hey, if you click on this cover image, you’ll see a child pasting the cover of *our* book onto a bookcase. Good Fun!
A good fit, indeed! The Good Fun! Book hit stores on October 22, national Make a Difference Day. Publisher Francine Rich and her family joined the authors — and over 400 other volunteers — in Washington, DC last Saturday to celebrate the book launch and help build a playground with the nonprofit KaBoom. Earlier in the day, Blue Marlin President & CEO (and Francine’s delightful husband) Jude T. Rich joined Kate at Ebbitt’s Grill as she signed books for more than 200 kids at the launch of generationOn, a new young volunteers program sponsored by the Points of Light Institute.
I am so proud to be affiliated with Blue Marlin and this new book they published. What a great way to help kids learn the incredible rewards that come from service to others. And with Anthony Alex LeTourneau as the illustrator, even a blind woman can tell you: The Good Fun! Book is beautiful.
Like! 😉
Thank you, Beth, for an incredible post in which you plug so many wonderful organizations and people, particularly Tony, KaBOOM!, POLI, and GenerationOn (and Jude, of course). For your readers who many be interested, we’ve posted a few photos from the GenerationOn event on our website, which can be accessed from our homepage: http://www.bluemarlinpubs.com.
And how could you FORGET to mention that Tony obviously thinks so incredibly highly of YOUR book that he highlights it on the cover of The Good Fun! Book: 12 Months of Parties That Celebrate Service? All you faithful followers of Beth’s blog should click on the cover image of The Good Fun! Book, and you’ll see a child pasting the cover of Beth’s book onto a bookcase. Very cool. That was NOT my idea. That was totally Tony.
Oh, thanks for reminding me about our “placement” on the cover of The Good Fun! Book — just added your suggestion to the caption, hope some of my loyal blog readers really do click to enlarge the image.
Good Fun!.
Beth, you are so kind! I am humbled by your generous spirit. It is your kindness and inspiringly beautiful story that moves people to act. That is why I found such a natural tie between the 2 books! I treasure our friendship! Thanks again to Francine and Jude for introducing us! I feel honored to have worked with Blue Marlin, You and now Kate and Karen it is all GOOD FUN!
And Tony, I promise I am not exaggerating when I say that *everyone* who sees the illustrations to my book is, well, mesmerized. I have actually heard people use the word “stunning” to describe them. How many times do you hear people actually say that word — stunning — out loud? Not many. Unless you are showing off an Anthony Alex LeTourneau book, that is.
So were you there in DC for the book launch, too?
No, couldn’t go. I know I would have especially liked that KaBoom project, though. I’ve ben lucky enough to participate in volunteer work projects like that before, it’s fun to figure out what I can do to help the project along without being able to see (trust me, there is always *something*!) and no better way to meet strangers than by working side-by-side with them. What a perfect launch for this book about kids doing service for others.
Beth!
Thanks for the kind words about The Good Fun! Book. You are such a dear. And aren’t we lucky to experience Tony’s art. I feel so grateful!
All the best to you!
Kate
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