Little Pickle Press

Book Review: A Splendid Friend, Indeed

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Review by Cameron Crane

A Splendid Friend, Indeed

Written & Illustrated by Susan Bloom

Reading level: Ages 3 and up

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Boyds Mills Pr (March 1, 2005)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1590782860

ISBN-13: 978-1590782866

Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches

Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounce

Maybe it is just me, but I love it when our First Friday Book Review falls on the first day of the month, because it means that we get to introduce the monthly theme with a story that somehow embraces the subject. It also gives us an opportunity to offer a tool that can be used to begin a conversation with a child, which is, after all, one of the most exciting things about children’s books. This June is Friendship Month at Little Pickle Press and today we review A Splendid Friend, Indeed, by Suzanne Bloom.

The Story: Meet Bear: “Bear wants to read and write and think”. He is introspective and prefers to be left alone. Meet Goose: “Goose wants to talk and talk and talk.” He is inquisitive, curious, and LOUD. Anyone who has ever been in the room with a talker when they are trying to read knows that it can be, well, more than a little distracting. So it goes that Bear finds himself irritated with Goose when he simply insists on talking about everything that Bear is doing. The question becomes: can Bear and Goose be friends in spite of their differences?

The Artwork: Suzanne Bloom’s A Splendid Friend, Indeed is composed of a combination of short simple sentences, and heart-warming illustrations that couple them perfectly. Bloom’s depiction of Bear and Goose are wonderful and expressive, and each illustration captures the mood of the story in a way that is both heartwarming and familiar.

The Layout: The layout of the story is simple and traditional, with only one or two lines per page, written in large text which makes this story a wonderful selection for reading aloud. Bright, charming illustrations tell much of the story, making each page one to be lingered on and enjoyed. It is especially appealing to younger children.

The Message: Bear and Goose are very different, and sometimes it can make for a rather difficult situation, but throughout the story we begin to discover that although Bear appears irritated, deep down he enjoys the company of the friendly Goose. Together the pair proves that despite differences, there is an opportunity to be “splendid friends, indeed.” This story embraces the idea that friendships don’t have to be perfect, and that sometimes, they require patience. It is perfect for any child that is experiencing sibling rivalry. This message helped A Splendid Friend, Indeed make the UKLA's shortlist of books up for awards this year.

My Only Issue: It would be great if the story were available in e-book format. I believe that the layout of the story would translate beautifully to the digital platform.

Conclusion: This is a great story to read as a family, especially if your little ones tend to experience a bit of sibling rivalry. Buy A Splendid Friend, Indeed from Amazon, your favorite bookstore, or your local library, to share with the Bears and Geese in your life. Use the story as the beginning of a discussion about what it truly means to be a friend.

Common Sense Media's Learning with Technology Ratings

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

The children’s app market can be a challenge to navigate. Most of us rely heavily on key influencers, such as app reviewers and award programs, to spotlight the best apps available for our children. There are currently few reviewers as influential as Common Sense Media, an organization we find extremely helpful in the hunt to discover fun and meaningful book apps and e-books for children.

Common Sense Media is a non-profit company that studies the effects that various forms of media and technology have on children. Their advanced rating system allows parents and educators to quickly assess a product, based on a variety of factors ranging from age-appropriateness to the value of the content. Their goal is simple: to deliver trustworthy information in a way that makes it easy for parents and educators to determine what works best for their household or classroom.

Just last month, Common Sense Media introduced the beta version of their Learning with Technology ratings. This four-scale assesses apps, video games, and the like based on learning potential and gives them a score of BEST, GOOD, FAIR or NOT FOR LEARNING. Their rating system also provides a quick summary of what can be learned, with subjects ranging from language & reading, to math, science, and social studies. As a company that works hard to make sure that our apps provide meaningful and educational content for children, this is something we are very excited about.

For more information about Common Sense Media’s rating system, click here.

Have you used Common Sense Media as a guide for apps to download for your classroom or household? What do you think about their new educational rating system? Do you know of any similar sites? Please share!

A Teacher's Perspective: Being Global Book App

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Ben Spencer

Good Morning, Little Pickle Press! I am a second grade teacher in Piedmont, California. I recently came across Being Global, an interactive book app by Little Pickle Press. This fantastic app is based on What Does It Mean To Be Global?, the important children’s book by Rana DiOrio, written to address concepts like diversity, respect, and acceptance.

Being Global is a wonderful tool and a great resource for all primary grade teachers. It is an incredible application because not only is it easy to navigate, but more importantly, it has creative and engaging lesson plans that I can use with my students. This application can be used with students during one-on-one or whole class instruction. Its also great for small groups or guided reading lessons.

I plan on using this application more in my classroom, as my district and school have recently emphasized more innovated and creative ways to try and teach reading workshop. Lessons are fun and exciting, and students seem to enjoy the interactive format that this application provides. Objectives are clearly stated and it guides you through the lesson step by step.

Being Global connects directly to many different resources, which can be used in the classroom. With increasing globalization in our world today, this application helps children to see their world from a global perspective. If used correctly in the classroom, this application can help students to become more engaged readers and more tolerate of individual cultures. Both teachers and students can benefit greatly from using this application.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Ben Spencer

Ben Spencer graduated from University of Connecticut with his BA in Human Development and Family Studies, and a minor in Sociology. He went on to receive his Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Masters of Arts in Teaching from St. Mary’s College of California. Ben is currently a 2nd grade teacher in Piedmont, California, and has also taught in a 3rd and 6th grade classroom.

In Flanders Fields

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

In the spirit of Memorial Day, we share with you this moving poem written by John McCrae in 1915. Ian Booth, President of Blue4Books, the highly-reputable group of book reps we just engaged to cover Middle America for us, sent us this poem to reflect upon the meaning of Memorial Day.

In Flanders Fields

John McCrae, 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

We thank the brave men and women who serve and protect our country. We are deeply grateful to them and to their families for the sacrifices they make to keep us safe.

Let's Help Worldreader Send One Million eBooks

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Sat, 26 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

millionbooks.worldreader.org

More of Worldreader

noreply@blogger.com (Dani) — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Khadijah Lacina

Yesterday we visited with Worldreader, which gives children in the developing world access to digital books. Today we continue the interview with a pertinent question. One of the issues every charity endures is receipts of goods that aren't... well, very useable by the charity. This is true with books, too. Here is how Worldreader vets their titles.

Khadijah: Working in Yemen to increase literacy amongst the women, I noticed that many donated materials were, in reality, culturally inappropriate. For example, a book on dating, or one that strove to inculcate Christian beliefs in the reader, would not be appropriate in that strongly Muslim society. How do the people at Worldreader decide what books are loaded onto the e-book readers? How concerned are you about giving due respect to the culture and beliefs of the people who will eventually read the books?

Elizabeth: That is a great question – and relates in part to the previous answer about how the old solution was flawed. Folks in one part of the world cannot choose books for folks in another part. It would be like trying to solve the scarcity of inner city books in New York by shipping in books from Yemen.

My daughter went to Senegal, and while visiting a school there, saw the Michelin Red Guide to Paris (Hotels and Restaurants) 2002 on the book shelf next to a smattering of other used books. If we are going to give Senegalese children hotel and restaurant guides, can we at least make them current!

Worldreader partners with local publishers to digitize and make available local children’s books. I would estimate that 80% of the books we deliver are locally sourced – written by African authors, about African kids, and published by African publishers.

It is super-important for young readers to recognize images, themes, names, places, etc., when learning to read. The brain simply does not make the same connections when faced with unfamiliar settings and images. A book about children building snowmen whilst at sleep-away camp in Maine might be great for young readers in the US – but quite ineffective for kids in Mozambique.

We do accept any and all books (within reason) that international publishers let us use – but we do very carefully choose which books to actually deliver to the children’s e-readers.

Khadijah: Lastly, what are some ways that we can get involved with the Worldreader program and work to make change along with you?

Elizabeth: There are lots of ways to get involved. On our website, www.worldreader.orgyou can donate, or you can fund-raise (run a marathon, for example). If you are an author or publisher, you can partner with us and provide our students and teachers access to one or more of your books or short stories. You can volunteer your time or expertise to help us – we have many volunteers on our teams in Barcelona and San Francisco. Or you can simply spread the word – like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and tell your friends about us!

Khadijah: Thank you for visiting, Elizabeth, and discussing Worldreader with us. Next we'll share information about Worldreader's Million E-books Movement which was just launched. We hope our readers leave comments or questions!

WorldReader Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Dani) — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Khadijah Lacina

Books do have the power to change lives; it’s as simple as that. Time and again this was shown to me during the ten years my family lived in Yemen. One of the biggest trials we faced was the lack of reading material; whenever someone sent us books from the United States, they immediately became much loved and treasured. But for all the joy that my children got from them, the looks on the faces of the little Yemeni children who lived around us when they saw the pictures and heard the stories between the pages was simply magical.

Worldreader is an organization that is striving to bring that magical experience to children in the poorest of countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. I had the opportunity to conduct the following interview with Worldreader’s Director of Digital Publishing, Elizabeth Wood, a warm, enthusiastic woman whose excitement about Worldreader is palpable in her words.

Khadijah: First of all, could you give us some background on Worldreader? How did it begin, and how did you personally become involved in the company?

Elizabeth: The idea for Worldreader came when David Risher (ex-Amazon VP) was traveling the world with his family and he was appalled at the dearth of books in the developing world while at the same time amazed that he and his children could download a book onto their Kindles wherever they were! He thought, "hang on a second… there’s a new way we can tackle this problem."

When I first met David Risher, it was on the playground at the school. He was holding a Kindle – and I said, "Hey, my dad just gave me one of those for Christmas." He replied "I want to put one of these in the hands of every child in the developing world." I was hooked and wanted to be a part of it.

Khadijah: The concept of getting books to children in the Third Worldis a great one, but the logistics could be daunting. Worldreader came up with a unique way to do this. How exactly does your program get the books to the children?

Elizabeth: The old solution was to ship containers of used and new books to remote areas – but the problems with that are:

It’s expensive
The books don’t actually arrive to the very remote places
When the books do arrive, they are not the right books (have you ever looked into one of those donate-your-old-books boxes – try to imagine a group of eight-year-old African children getting those books!)

The new way is to leverage a major trend – mobile phone ubiquity and network coverage. Combine that with e-reader/e-book technology and we know wherever we can get a cell call, we can also send books anywhere in the world (almost!).

Khadijah: I understand that Worldreader is initiating a program that would utilize mobile phones in some way. Would you explain that to us?

Elizabeth: This is a particular area of interest for me – I’m convinced that the potential here is huge. Worldreader, in partnership with an amazing Australian company called biNU, does indeed have the first ever book app for feature phones – and those are the phones that billions of the world’s poorest people have. We have just started, but we already had over 300,000 people reading last month – mainly in India and across Africa. We offer hundreds of free books and stories – fiction and non-fiction, classics, and current.

Recently we put about 15 health informationals up – on a variety of subjects from HIV/AIDS to Malaria to Female Genital Mutilation – and we’ve already had over 10,000 people read them. The potential is huge – our next step is getting textbooks on the app – both high school and college level.

Khadijah: How do schools become a part of the Worldreader program? Do you keep track of the progress of the children in the schools after they have joined?

Elizabeth: We now have a turn-key solution that any school can use to replicate our programs, called Worldreader Kits. We are approached every day by schools and libraries all over the world wanting to implement these programs. We will help others launch about ten projects this year, including one in Rwanda next month being launched by Ready For Reading. We monitor all our schools so that we can learn from the successes and the failures. This solution isn’t perfect – the hardware is still designed for individual use in the developed world for instance, so breakages are higher than we’d like and prices are still too high – but prices are rapidly declining and devices are becoming more rugged. So far we’ve had very positive feedback from our partner schools – two of three of them have ordered additional devices and hundreds of more books – because they reported that within weeks, the kids had read all the books and wanted more. That’s success to me!
~~~~
Join us again tomorrow for more about Worldreader and how you can help supply books to avid young readers around the world.

10 Amazing eBooks We Love for Summer Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

With summer vacation quickly approaching, it is helpful to have an entertaining selection of eBooks handy on your iPad, NOOK, or Kindle for your child’s summer reading. In anticipation of the end of the school year, and family travel plans of our own, we have been vetting through the available eBooks across these platforms to find the very best.

Today, we introduce the top 10 Amazing eBooks We Love for Summer Travel:

Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Developer: HarperCollins Publishers

Ages: 4-8

Whispered Wonders by Kari Pius Baker

Developer: Kite Readers

Ages: 3 to 6

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett & Ronald Barrett

Developer: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Ages: 6 to 9

It’s Okay To Be Different by Todd Parr

Developer: Hachette Digital, Inc.

Ages: 2 to 6

Almost by Richard Torrey

Developer: HarperCollins

Ages: 4 to 8

Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett

Developer: Candlewick Press

Ages: 4 to 8

An Atrocious Fairytale by Daniel Errico

Ages: 4 to 8

Developer: Pajama Publishing

The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell

Ages: 4 to 8

Developer: Hachette Digital, Inc.

Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson

Developer: Kite Readers

Ages: 3 to 8

The Best Place to Read by Debbie Bertram & Susan Bloom

Developer: Random House

Ages: 4 to 8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Little Pickle Press has just lowered the prices on all eBook versions of our award-winning titles, available for your NOOK Color, iPad, and Kindle Fire. Be sure to take advantage of this special pricing!

MeMeTales and Readathon 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Maya Bisineer

I am so excited to be able to guest post on the Little Pickle Press blog! We admire Rana and Little Pickle Press for every detail they put into the books they make. They inspire us everyday! We want to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about MeMeTales, our story and inspiration and our upcoming Readathon. So, let me jump right it!

Why does MemeTales exist?

As a company, MeMeTales is passionate about kids and reading. We will be happiest when kids obsess about stories and are addicted to reading. We want them to love reading so much that they will choose to curl up with a book rather than turn to Angry Birds. And no matter how media evolves, we want kids to cherish reading as a special experience.

How does technology fit in?

Technology is a wonderful thing — it brings the world together in ways never imagined before. It gives us numerous options for learning and entertainment. It also hands us a greater responsibility — a responsibility we have to assume whether we like it or not —a responsibility to make the right choices. So as a company, we absolutely love that with MeMeTales, kids can read no matter where they are. With mobile taking over the world, reading is possible anywhere and anytime. Yet, we compete, not with the physical books, but with the Angry Birds of the world. We believe the only way to tackle this challenge and assume our responsibility with grace is not to take the kids away from Angry Birds, but to make reading so much fun that they WANT to be a part of it.

So what does MemeTales do?

At MeMeTales, we want to make reading fun in 2 main ways :

Our app and website - We bring together some awesome books from dedicated publishers on our MeMeTales app. We make reading fun by letting kids earn points and stickers as they read more and more.
Our Readathon - Every year, we are going to do a Readathon, starting this year. We are incredibly excited about it!

12 publishers, 24 bloggers and several people across the world are joining hands to get thousands of kids reading over 6 weeks this summer. This Readathon, for the youngest and emerging readers, is powered by MeMeTales Reader app and our website.

According to the National Summer Leaning Association , it is clear that children who don’t read during the summer can lose up to three months of reading progress, and that loss has a cumulative, long-term effect. In order to prevent the “Summer Slide”, MeMeTales, in partnership with PBSKids, is working together with several motivated publishers such as Harper Collins and ORCA Books to make complete books available for kids to read week after week in the summer. Award-winning publishers such as Shen’s Books and Little Pickle Press are excited to join in, as are international publishers such as Era Publications and Karadi Tales. Several influential bloggers are joining in to support this cause.

What can you do to help?

Join in and spread the word. With Readathon2012, there is really no excuse for not reading.

If you are blogger, please join in and spread the word. Post on your blogs. Tweet about it. Sign on to be an ambassador. We will be eternally grateful!

If you are a parent, have your child read. It is really the best gift you can give us, and more importantly, the best gift for your child!

Little Pickle Press is in the iBookstore!

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Sat, 19 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Download our books in the iBookstore today! Enjoy all of your favorite LPP stories in Read to Me format, with soothing narrations that your children will love.

Sofia’s Dream

By Land Wilson

Illustrated by Sue Cornelison

eLit Silver Award Winner for Children’s Books (7 & under)

Snutt the Ift: A Small but Significant Chapter in the Life of the Universe

By Helen Ward

What Does It Mean To Be Global?

By Rana DiOrio

Illustrated by Chris Hill

What Does It Mean To Be Green?

By Rana DiOrio

Illustrated by Chris Blair

eLit Gold Award Winner for Environment/Ecology/Nature

What Does It Mean To Be Present?

By Rana DiOrio

Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

eLit Silver Award Winner for New Age/Mind-Body-Spirit

What Does It Mean To Be Safe?

By Rana DiOrio

Illustrated by Sandra Salsbury

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain

By JoAnn Deak, Ph.D.

Illustrated by Sarah Ackerley

All of our iBooks were developed in partnership with Kite Readers.

Featured Customer of the Month: The Reading Bug

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

The Reading Bug

785 Laurel Street

San Carlos, CA 94070

When you come across a truly unique bookstore, one that takes in you in to a magical world similar to those in the stories they house, it is hard to forget. Such is the case with The Reading Bug, our featured customer this May.

Today, we welcome Diane Savage, founder of The Reading Bug, to tell us all about her experience running the bookstore, and exactly what makes it so special.

How did The Reading Bug come to be?

In 2009, my daughter-in-law and I dreamed about starting a bookstore in San Carlos that would become a gathering place for families and a resource for the entire community. We were fortunate to find a generous landlord, Howard Girdlestone, who helped make this possible.

What makes The Reading Bug unique?

Our vision was to create a fanciful store that would appeal to children and grown-ups alike. Lauren worked with a designer to create a warm and inviting store. Our concept was to create a store that looked a bit like a “pop-up” book, with beautiful two dimensional trees, a path that led our visitors from place to place in the store, and a larger than life magical forest mural that was painted by Bronwyn Lewis, a recent graduate of Rhode Island School of Design. We have a large multipurpose space that we use for author events, children’s birthday parties, storytimes, yoga classes, zumba classes, and other community events.

As a family-run business, one of The Reading Bug’s missions is to create strong ties with local families. How do you make this happen?

We have worked on building community. We want our store to be a place where we know as many families by name as possible. We try to offer events that appeal to all ages, from infants to adults. Many of our local families visit the store several times a week for these events, and often just drop by to say hi.

So The Reading Bug is designed to look like an enchanted forest? This must lead to some magical reading experiences!

The concept of an enchanted forest was Lauren’s idea, and she worked with a decorator to perfect it. We wanted our store to be open and welcoming. If you look carefully, you will find many unique items that contribute to the look—from our “pond” tile that “splashes” as children walk on it, to the birdhouse above our event space and the pictures of Lauren’s and Brandon’s children (my grandchildren), Chloe and Riley (and even their dog Zuzu) in our second “tea party” mural in the event space.

What is your favorite part about owning and running The Reading Bug?

My favorite part of owning and running The Reading Bug is the children. Creating a place that they love to visit—again and again—makes everything worthwhile! Getting to know some of our regulars’ like and dislikes, and being able to put the “perfect” book (for them) in their hands is so satisfying!

How did you find out about Little Pickle Press? What has your experience selling Little Pickle Press books been like?

We are always looking for unique books to feature in our stores—books that need to be browsed and discovered. Little Pickle Press books, like Snutt the Ift, Sofia’s Dream, Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, and the What Does It Mean To Be... ? books are exactly the type of books we like to offer to our customers.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us about The Reading Bug?

Thanks so much for the opportunity to work with you.

And thank you, for being such a valuable part of your local community!

Educational iPad App Review: Your Fantastic Elastic Brain

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Marnie Craycroft, Founder of Carrots Are Orange

I was thrilled when Little Pickle Press gave me the opportunity to review an educational iPad App that follows one of my new favorite children's books, Your Fantastic Elastic Brain. In short, as a parent, educator and avid user of iPad educational apps, I was blown away. Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak Ph.D. is a phenomenal concept. I highly recommend viewing this short interview with Dr. Deak. I was sold when I saw her speak at the American Montessori conference a few months ago.

Geared towards 6 to 10 year olds, the book and the app introduce ideas and information that gives children the knowledge and therefore the power to control their development, which, as it turns out children become more interested in doing the things that will serve them, their bodies, their families and their communities best.

Dr. Deak tackles and successfully breaks down a complex subject with enjoyable characters and illustrations that draw in both children and adults. The approach is brilliant in breaking down difficult pieces of information in a way that enables people of all ages to learn. I particularly appreciated the content emphasizing that making mistakes is a great thing for your brain! That is a sentiment worth repeating ten times!

The content explaining the parts of the brain, their purpose and what we can do to bend and stretch those parts is rich and could stand alone. We're in luck though because at the end Dr. Deak offers numerous brain workouts ranging from suggestions on volunteering to memory games with sight and sound to reflecting on seeing art or hearing music. These brain workouts will truly give your child an opportunity to bend and stretch his brain. The best part? The workouts are fun and engage children. What I love about the App requires more than one post but here is a brief list to start:

The app, like the book, is wonderfully illustrated by Sarah Ackerley.
The Read Aloud option helps all of us pronounce challenging words and is easy for younger children to follow along
The brain workouts are extraordinary {even for adults}!

What I hope for in next versions of the App:

More interactive to engage younger kids
More sound effects in the workouts
An option for younger kids, ages 3-6

Do yourself a favor and check out the trailer on the book when you have a moment. It is short and I think it will draw you into the concept. Then stop by iTunes and buy this App for your iPad. You will not regret spending the few dollars. Thanks for choosing to read this post. I hope that we inspired you.

Disclosure: Little Pickle Press gave me a free copy of this App to review.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marnie is founder and writer of Carrots Are Orange, a blog focused on Montessori inspired ideas and activities, teaching kids about money and musings on parenting. She is a big proponent of positive discipline and nurturing creativity in our children. After nearly a decade in the investment management industry, this MBA turned Mama is currently pursuing her Early Childhood Montessori certification. Marnie graduated with a BA in Economics from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and earned her MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Hailing from Maine, she now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two young sons. You can connect with Marnie on her blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. She looks forward to getting to know you.

A Better Look at Kite Readers

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

Throughout our digital development process, we have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Kite Readers Apps & eBooks. In our partnership, we have created eBooks for our titles on the three major existing digital platforms, and developed Being Global, an interactive book app that has garnered several industry awards.

Kite Readers develops fun, educational, and interactive children’s multi-media book apps and eBooks in partnership with leading children’s book publishers and authors. Kite Readers is brought to you by SachManya Inc., a multi-award winning eBooks and mobile apps platform company founded by Yahoo alumni and based out of Silicon Valley, CA.

They have developed numerous top-selling apps and eBooks, including:

Being Global

Why Do Puppies Do That?

Silly Dino

The Tooth That’s On the Loose

Sofa Boy

Sofia’s Dream

The Day the Dragon Danced

Cora Cooks Pancit

For a more complete list of apps and eBooks by Kite Readers, click here.

It is our sincere pleasure to work with Kite Readers, in a collaborative process that we are both extremely dedicated to. We are two companies fascinated by the digital revolution, and eager to figure out how it works. This passion has fueled the success of our digital products, like Being Global, which won an Appy Award in March.

But what makes Kite Readers so special is not just their incredible know-how, passion for development, and dedication to the publishers they work with. Kite Readers stands out because unlike many digital development companies, they are extremely family-oriented. Founded by Chintu and Aarti Parikh, who are husband and wife, Kite Readers is a family business. Chintu and Aarti have been able to divide the qualities necessary to be successful as a developer into their two vastly different skill sets.

As parents, Chintu and Aarti have a passion for creating eBooks and apps that children will fall in love with. They want their apps and eBooks to be fun, educational, inspiring — all the qualities they look for when purchasing for their own girls. Each and every app that Kite Readers produces for children has been proudly and eagerly beta-tested by their daughters, who are clearly enthralled with what their parents have created. Together, children of Kite Readers and Little Pickle Press have played, learned, and bonded, as excited about what is being created as we are.

Thank you, Kite Readers, for helping us to create such stellar digital products and for embarking on this journey with us. We look forward to seeing what the future holds.

Happy Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

Little Pickle Press wishes all mothers an especially Happy Mother’s Day!

Today’s Unique Mother’s Day Stories:

MBA Turned Mama {Ode to Motherhood} by Marnie Craycroft, Carrots Are Orange

What Mother’s Day Means to Our Family by Lillian Rivera, Huffington Post

What it Means to be an Adoptive Mom by the Dalai Mama

Image Credit: blogs.trb.com

Try our enhanced NOOK Books!

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Did you know that Little Pickle Press has enhanced eBook versions of our titles available to download for your NOOK? Enjoy your favorite LPP stories in Read to Me format, with soothing narrations that your children will love.

Download your favorite title today!

Sofia’s Dream

By Land Wilson

Illustrated by Sue Cornelison

eLit Silver Award Winner for Children’s Books (7 & under)

Snutt the Ift: A Small but Significant Chapter in the Life of the Universe

By Helen Ward

What Does It Mean To Be Global?

By Rana DiOrio

Illustrated by Chris Hill

What Does It Mean To Be Green?

By Rana DiOrio

Illustrated by Chris Blair

eLit Gold Award Winner for Environment/Ecology/Nature

What Does It Mean To Be Present?

By Rana DiOrio

Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

eLit Silver Award Winner for New Age/Mind-Body-Spirit

What Does It Mean To Be Safe?

By Rana DiOrio

Illustrated by Sandra Salsbury

All of our NOOK Books were developed in partnership with Kite Readers.

The Future of Publishing

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

“The future is here, it’s just not very evenly distributed.” ~ William Gibson

In the midst of this digital publishing revolution, one of the major questions all publishers find themselves asking is what the future holds. This was the topic of conversation last Tuesday, at Pearson’s Future of Publishing event at RocketSpace in San Francisco, which I was fortunate to attend. The event was full of publishers, digital developers, authors and entrepreneurs, all anxious to hear the opinions of five influential panelists from different vectors of the industry.

The session was moderated by Nancy Ruenzel, Vice President of Pearson Technology Group and Publisher of PeachPit. Panelists included Peter Brantley, Director of the Bookserver Project Internet Archive; Rob Grimshaw, Managaing Director of FT.com; Matt MacInnis, Founder and CEO of Inkling; and Eileen Gittins, Founder, President, and CEO of Blurb. Energy in the room was high as these impressive panelists took the floor to shed some light on the destiny of traditional and digital publishing. Here are my major takeaways from the event:

When it comes to this digital revolution, we haven’t seen anything yet.

The first thing that immediately became clear in the discussion is that “future” is a relative term. Whether we are talking about the next generation, 3 to 5 years from now, or even today, the definition of where we are and what the future holds in this revolution depends on who you are talking to. If you ask a general audience, we all know that we are in the midst of a changing world. Almost every one of us has some type of smartphone device and a desire to take content with us at all times. It is clear that we are more plugged in than we have ever been before. If you ask a publisher, they will tell you that we are on a brink of a revolution in the way that we deliver content. The publisher/reader relationship is changing dramatically, and the industry must adapt accordingly. If you ask an influential developer, the future is already here.

“We can already do almost anything today, but we don’t do that yet,” Matt MacInnis stated, “You can’t go so far from the book that you uphand the way people are used to doing things.”

So what does this mean? The future doesn’t exist in the devices we hold in our hands today. In fact, the technology that we are fascinated with now is far too limited for where we are going.

There is fragmentation in what the future holds for different segments of publishing.

Another thing that became abundantly clear throughout the conversation was that we are hard-pressed to say that anything can replace the book.

“If you think about it,” said MacInnis, “the book as a device is probably the most important IT device ever invented. It is remarkable that books worked for travel guides, cookbooks, novels, etc.”

The other panelists agreed. Yes, the technology that we have developed is exciting, and in many ways can be used to replace the book. But the book will never be entirely replaced. Why? Because some things can just not be replicated. Even with today’s technology, there are certain specific situations in which a book is still the most practicable, functional IT device we have.

The future of publishing largely depends on what vector of publishing you are looking at. Newspaper publishers have a different fate and different opportunities than book publishers, or even magazine publishers. We can already see that these different areas of publishing translate differently on to the tablet.

Yes, there is a demand for new and exciting products, which publishers are thrilled and obligated to meet. Fortunately, it is still clear that as far as the book is concerned, we don’t have to worry about it disappearing entirely.

The future holds exciting opportunities, but there are problems to be solved first.

Anyone who has already dived into the world of digital publishing and released digital content can tell you that this is an equation we are still figuring out. For one thing, discovering content remains a huge issue. Yes, you can put your content onto these amazing new platforms, but it is a remarkable challenge to make it visible to the appropriate, interested audiences. There is an exciting opportunity to distribute, with lower prices and at higher volumes, but we are not sure exactly how to do that yet.

This is due in large part to “Amazon/Apple Oligopoly”, which was one of the major concerns addressed at the session. Publishers and developers are giving Apple a very large percentage of their profits because of the limited access to outlets. As it stands today, these platforms pretty much determine the fate of any one digital asset.

“Publishers have made some mistakes,” Rob Grimshaw said, “We have been far too passive with major platform providers. We have allowed them to define the market. The opportunity is there to redefine the space.”

Still, it seems that publishers are still waiting for someone to solve this equation. How do we interpret the data we have and use it to make our digital products more visible? How do we interact with our readers and customers more directly? This is one of the many questions that the future still holds.

Overall, the Future of Publishing event held at RocketSpace last week gave remarkable insight into the opportunities and problems that lie in digital publishing. We are very grateful to Pearson, RocketSpace, the panelists for taking the time to hold this important discussion. And a special thank you to Peter Brantley, for turning us on to the event.

Comments, anyone?

Image Credits: girvin.com

blog.herodesignstudio.com

globalmoxie.com

B Corporations We Love: iContact

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

“We believe that the purpose of business is to solve human problems.” ~ iContact

Since Little Pickle Press started featuring one B Corporation a month, it has quickly become one of our favorite features. Not only does it give us the opportunity to connect with new like-minded companies, but it also allows us to recognize the special B Corporations that we personally work with. Today, we feature iContact, an environmentally and socially responsible company that we have used for quite some time now.

iContact is an “all-in-one marketing and social media marketing solution”, and is the program that allows us to stay in contact with you each month via our eNewsletter. iContact works with many small and medium sized businesses to help them reach their target audience, stay connected to their customers, and evaluate their impact. Primary services range from email marketing to contact management, and easy-to-use templates help to build campaigns using your company’s individual aesthetic. iContact truly goes above and beyond to cater to customer needs, and we are very fortunate to have discovered their services and to have implemented them in to our monthly routine.

iContact’s company values are equally as impressive:

Wow the Customer

Operate with Urgency

Work without Mediocrity

Make a Positive Wake

Engage as an Owner

iContact became a fellow B Corporation in 2010, the same year that it became a Green America Associate Member. iContact’s “social and environmental mission is encapsulated in [their] value of ‘Making a Positive Wake’, which drives [them] to give back to [the] community, build up [their] people, and minimize [their] impact on the environment.” iContact believes “a company must be willing to institutionalize commitments based on its values”, in order to become sustainable and successful. From their community impact, to the way they treat their own employees, iContact is the definition of leading by example.

Although iContact was recently acquired by Vocus, which is not a B Corporation, we are confident that they maintain their B Corporation values to the extent possible. For more information about iContact’s B Corporation status pre-aquisition, click here.

If you are looking for a social media and email marketing solution for your company, we highly recommend considering iContact. Not only will you be getting high quality support, but you will also be supporting a company with values that go above and beyond.

Little Pickle Press Invites You to the Happiness Advantage Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Sat, 05 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

What is the Happiness Advantage?

If you’ve ever wanted more from life – more happiness, more success, more balance, more meaning – you don’t want to miss this event!

We are excited to invite you to the Happiness Advantage Retreat, hosted by world-renowned author and speaker Shawn Achor, as seen on the cover of Harvard Business Review and TED.com.

Join Shawn and his colleagues from the Institute for Applied Positive Research on June 22-24, 2012 for an interactive and life changing weekend.

You’ll learn directly from Shawn how to get the Happiness Advantage in your life.

Learn how to:

Become more positive and charismatic
Shift your mindset about stress
Achieve goals you’ve been putting off for years
Significantly improve your energy and health
Be more resilient in the face of challenges
Foster happier, more meaningful relationships and raise happier children

Space is limited. Sign up today! Be sure to mention that Little Pickle Press referred you to us.

Your friends,

Shawn and the Good Think Inc. Team

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inspirational Speaker

Shawn Achor is co-founder of The Institute of Applied Positive Research, and is one of the world's leading experts on human potential. He spent more than a decade studying and researching the field of positive psychology at Harvard University where he graduated magna cum laude and later received his Master's Degree. He helped design the famed Happiness Course, which at the time was the most popular class offered at Harvard. Since then, Shawn has researched and spoken around the world about happiness and success at work and at home. When the global economy collapsed in 2008, Shawn was called in as an expert by the world's largest banks and companies to help restart forward progress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Escape for the weekend. Return with the Happiness Advantage! 

Mohonk Mountain House is a five-star Victorian castle built on spectacular cliffs above the deep-blue waters of Lake Mohonk, New York. Nestled in a pristine forest with beautiful winding trails, this resort and spa is the ideal destination for a weekend getaway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Help Us Name Our Book!

We are pleased to announce that Shawn Achor and his sister, Amy Blankson, have come together to write a children's picture book about the positive impact of a brave little dolphin that is sure to bring a smile to your face. For the first time ever, Little Pickle Press is asking for your help voting on a title that is just as great as the book! Vote here and you will be automatically entered to win an iPod shuffle.

Book Review: Goodnight iPad

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

Goodnight iPad: A Parody for the Next Generation

by Ann Droyd (aka David Milgrim)

Published by Blue Rider Press

This month, as we take a look at the new digital publishing industry, it is very easy to see just how the digital revolution is changing our lives. It seems we have devices in our hands from the moment we wake up, until the moment we crawl into bed. Often, the last thing we see before we go to sleep is the fading glow of our cell phones.

It’s not just adults either. Many of today’s children are being read bedtime stories on a Nook, Kindle, or iPad. While we see absolutely nothing wrong with that, it is important to know when to put the devices away and, well, unplug. That is why when we came across Goodnight iPad in the NOOK Bookstore, we knew that we simply had to share!

The Story: With Read Alone and Read to Me features, Goodnight iPad is a parody, set up to read like a modern-day version of the classic Goodnight Moon. Short, humorous rhymes take you through this story, as one by one we say goodnight to the gadgets and distractions we encounter each day — from our LCD Wi-Fi HDTV’s to our Macbook Airs, and even the “three little Nooks/With ten thousand books”.

The Artwork: Catchy, detailed illustrations take you through this story, with just enough detail to keep you entertained without being distracted. With tones reminiscent to that of Goodnight Moon, but characters and scenes that are new and exciting, readers will find themselves in a world that is, oddly, both exciting and familiar. On each page, artwork adds additional content to the story, enhancing the reader’s experience and emphasizing the attachment we feel to our gadgets.

The Layout: The layout of this book is intriguing, with large, bold illustrations that dominate almost every page. With only a few lines and words per page, readers are encouraged to dive in to the illustrations.

The Message: Dedicated by "Ann Droyd" to “everyone who is a hopelessly plugged in as [she] is”, this book speaks to anyone who can not seem to escape the “bings, bongs, and beeps” that can tend to rule our lives. Catering to both adults and children, this tongue-in-cheek book encourages us to take a look at all these distractions, and finally, to put them away when it is time to relax.

My Only Issue: Across all platforms, this e-book seems more expensive than the average children’s book. Invest the extra dollar only if this is a story you will share with other members of the family.

Conclusion: Although this book is clearly meant to be a parody, it is an enjoyable read for children and adults. You will find yourself laughing and absorbing the crystal-clear message all at once. Download Goodnight iPad to your Nook, iPad or Kindle today.

LPP Insider: May Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Dani) — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Brian O’Leary, Founder and Principal, Magellan Media

While there is little doubt that digital is coming to children’s books, the shift poses a new marketing challenge.

Of those buying children’s books, only half go to a store with a specific book in mind. Impulse purchases make up a quarter of all sales, while “browsing the bookstore” is the top way that print books are selected for children under the age of six.

Bookstores and libraries have played key roles in making books visible and available. These time-tested channels are not going away, but the overall marketing mix is changing as the sales of digital content for children grow.

To be sure, some things have not changed. Liking an author or having a friend recommend a book does more to influence a sale than anything else.

But across digital platforms, things like best-seller lists, online reviews and retailer recommendations are replacing the important role that in-store displays play for physical books. To maximize digital sales, publishers will need to cultivate both retailers and reviewers in ways no longer connected to shelf space.

They will also need to navigate digital storefronts that are just now coming to terms with the blended nature of digital content. Illustrated books, in particular, benefit from the ability to look inside, sample content or even read the entire book.

That’s how the print versions of children’s books are found, but this level of interaction and engagement is not widely supported through various e-tailers. As a result, the likelihood that a book will be discovered is lower. When digital books do get found, little of the content is available to be evaluated by a potential buyer.

This lack of access leaves publishers vulnerable. Fortunately, there are steps anyone can take now to prepare for digital discovery.

Making a digital facsimile of the full book is one option. For shorter books, this is easily done, and it helps show both the nature and the quality of illustrations. Publishers concerned with piracy can watermark the file or make it available only at a smaller size.

Cultivating communities can deliver significant results when a book is launched. A loyal following interested in the work of an author or illustrator can offer strong word-of-mouth support (both off and online).

As content has grown increasingly digital, newspapers and magazine are no longer the sole owners of respected reviews. A trusted community member can offer insights about a book that inform buyers and create sales. Publishers can look for ways to involve these respected advocates early on, well ahead of publication dates.

While marketing digital content does pose challenges, it also provides pathways to new and different solutions. Publishers and authors interested in growing the sales of digital content in the children’s market can be preparing now for a robust future.

Sources: “Sizing Up the children’s eBook market”, Bowker, 2011; Magellan research

For an enhanced version of this newsletter, please click here.

Click here to download the app and then tell us what you think of it! Are you intrigued by the enhanced learning opportunities of apps for children? Excited? Do you buy them for your children? Do you use apps yourself? Please leave us a comment.

10 Amazing Children's Book Apps

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

This May is digital month at Little Pickle Press, and we are diving deep into the world of digital publishing. As part of our journey, we have been exploring the vast and wonderful selection of book apps currently in the market.

Today, we introduce 10 of our favorite children's book apps for your tablet:

Brave Rooney by Gerry Renert
Developer: Bacciz LLC
Ages: 4 & up

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Developer: Trilogy Studios
Ages: 3 & up

Little Miss Liberty by Chris Robertson
Developer: Kite Readers
Ages: 4 & up

Pete and the Secret of Flying
Developer: Shape Minds and Moving Images GmbH
Ages: 3 & up

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
Developer: Moonbot Studios LA, LLC
Ages: 6 & up

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Developer: Oceanhouse Media, Inc.
Ages: 4 & up

Fancy Nancy Dress Up
Developer: Bean Creative
Ages: 4 & up

Elmer's Special Day by David McKee
Developer: Oceanhouse Media, Inc.
Ages: 4 & up

Pooh's Birthday Surprise
Developer: Disney Publishing
Ages: 3 & up

The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey
Developer: Random House Digital Inc.
Ages: 3 & up

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the month of May, our Your Fantastic Elastic Brain book app is available at 40% introductory pricing.
Find it in the iTunes App Store here.

Image Credit: digitaltrends.com

Earth Month, According to Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

April has been a very exciting month for Little Pickle Press. From giveaways with Carrots Are Orange to readings at Linden Tree Books, we have been finding new and creative ways to celebrate Earth Month. Today, we welcome two children, Mark and Nick, to highlight what it means to celebrate Earth Month.

How did you celebrate Earth Day this year?

Mark (8 years old): “At school. We learned about the water and about ways that we can help the planet and stuff. And yeah, lots of stuff.”

Nick (6 years old): “We learned about it at school.”

Can you tell me the importance of Earth Day?

Mark: “Because it’s important to look around and know the things that you can do. Because, like, there are things that you don’t even know. But the thing is, you don’t realize most of the time that we have to be really careful if we want to live on this planet.”

Nick: “Earth Day we learned about being in the garden, and how you can make different things grow. Earth Day is about growing things, so that we have different things to eat.”

What are a few ways that you can help to protect planet Earth?

Mark: “You can wash your hands with not that much water, and you can also, like, not use paper plates when you get pizza…”

Nick: “Watch out for the animals.”

What is your favorite outdoor activity? When do you get to spend time outside with nature?

Mark: “I’m outside almost every day because I play soccer and ride my bike. Sometimes, I’m outside in the morning too because I walk to school with my friends.”

Nick: “When it’s nice out, I can play outside with my sister and stuff.”

What do you think is the most important thing about Earth Day/Month?

Mark: “Remembering that there are things you can do to help the way the world is, and doing them.”

Nick: “Being happy that you live here.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you have a child between the ages of four and ten years old who would love to be interviewed for our next monthly feature? Contact cameron@littlepicklepress(dot)com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don’t forget that this April at Little Pickle Press, you can receive 25% off and free shipping on your entire order with your purchase of Sofia’s Dream. Just use code LPPSofia12 at checkout. Today is your last day to take advantage of the offer, so don’t miss out!

These Bees Count!

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Cameron Crane

Written by Alison Formento
Illustrated by Sarah Snow

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (February 1, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0807578681

ISBN-13: 978-0807578681

Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches

Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars 

This Earth Month, as we look at what we can do to protect our planet, it is important to also recognize the creatures who help to make the world what it is. Sometimes, we forget that even the smallest of creatures can make a big impact. Consider, for instance, the honeybee. Did you know that in 2007, the value of food dependent on honeybees was $15 billion in the United States?

“Bees are nature's farmers,” says Alison Formento, author of THESE BEES COUNT!, “Without them, we wouldn't have many of the fruits and vegetables we love to eat.”

In fact, this is one of the underlying messages in THESE BEES COUNT!, a wonderful story about a field trip to Busy Bee Farm that leads to an understanding that bees do count…literally! In the story, Mr. Tate takes his class to meet Farmer Ellen, who takes the children to see the honeybees at work, and encourages them to “listen to their buzz.” The class listens eagerly as the bees sing their song “one by one, we zip up high, buzzing through the bright blue sky.” And so the melodic honeybee poem flows, all the way through ten, giving both the children in the story and the reader a deeper appreciation for “nature’s farmers.”

As if the beautiful rhythm and important message of the story weren’t enough, colorful eye-catching illustrations by Sarah Snow make you feel as if you are right there on the farm with Mr. Tate’s class. Reading THESE BEES COUNT!, the reader is torn between eagerly turning the page to see the next scene, and lingering on the one they are on to take in every detail.

“Eating a honey vanilla ice cream cone inspired my idea for THESE BEES COUNT!,” Alison says, “when I saw all of the signs posted in the ice cream shop about Colony Collapse Disorder. I started researching bees and soon realized how important bees are to our world, just like trees.”

Alison’s experience researching honeybees was very similar to that of the children in Mr. Tate’s class. She visited a local beekeeper to see the process in action, and the story goes from there. Today, Alison has not only an award-winning book to show for it, but she has also developed an amazing Teacher’s Guide to complement the title. You can download the guide free on her website, where you will also find a list of her other wonderful titles, and a great list of links to resources that will help you continue to learn about the messages within them. I guess we can all be glad Alison sat down for ice cream!

If you are looking for a book to read to your children for Earth Month, we recommend THESE BEES COUNT!. Buy it from Amazon or your local bookstore. Be sure to also stay tuned for Alison Formento’s upcoming book THESE SEAS COUNT!, which is scheduled for release in Spring 2013.

“I’m learning that the ways seas and oceans help our world are fathomless,” Alison remarks of her current research. We can't wait to learn more!

Thank you, Alison, for your wonderful stories, and for helping to deliver such important messages!

The Real Cost of Printing a Children's Book

noreply@blogger.com (Dani) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Today we visit with Keith Anthony, President of K2 PrintMedia, LLC, and long-time Little Pickle Press team member. Keith handles all aspects of the manufacturing process of LPP books including estimating, project management, scheduling, pre-press, press checks, bindery checks, and shipping manifests. Because LPP is a bit (well, okay, a lot) different from many traditional publishers in that they publish in an environmentally-sound manner, we thought we’d quiz Keith about what that exactly means.

Dani: Welcome to the blog, Keith. So, one of the things that impressed me most about LPP before I began working for them is their environmental consciousness, especially since publishing is a fairly toxic industry. LPP prints in North America, using recycled papers (or even tree-free paper), with soy inks. Can you compare for us the cost of a 10,000-book print run. How much per book printed conventionally off-shore, how much conventionally in North America, and how much using the LPP model? Give us some rough estimates and comparisons between the three options.

Keith: Thanks, Dani. There has been a lot written on the comparisons, so I will try to be as brief as possible. When talking about “off-shore”, we are essentially referring to China, as they own the bulk of world market-share in publishing. To a lesser degree, Indonesia, India, and Mexico have respectable market-share. Compared to North America, generally speaking, you can produce books – hard or soft cover – about 40-60% less expensively off-shore. When comparing high-quality books with high recycled paper content, like the LPP model, the cost disparity can be even higher. Depending on the type and percentage of recycled content, it can bring a premium of 10-30%.

Cost benefits for printing off-shore are obvious. What is not obvious to many is the trade-off you get for the dollar savings. There are enormous human and environmental costs associated with off-shore print manufacturing. It is no secret that off-shore paper mills clear-cut vast areas of pristine forests to feed the appetite of over 90,000 printing plants, with approximately three million employees in China alone. Since there is no regulating authority to monitor use and disposal of toxic petroleum-based inks and other press and paper mill chemicals, it is widely assumed these toxins are dumped in land-fills or waterways. The human cost is discussed in terms of “living wage” and "accommodations". A press operator in North America earns approximately $60,000/year, as contrasted with a press operator in China who earns about $1,000/year (per Harvard economist, Andy Mukherjee). Most large Chinese printers house employees in dormitory-style housing which is cramped and overcrowded. Occasionally we hear reports that China is cleaning up these facilities, but again, there is no regulating authority with the means to mandate compliance.

As an industry, we have come a long way in a relatively short time to clean up the ugly and toxic side of the business, but we have much further to go, especially off-shore. Demand is what drives the engine and as long as customers expect and demand the greening of the industry, it will oblige.

Dani: One of the things I’ve noticed about the recycled papers used in LPP books is they seem very expensive and lush, more like art paper really. It’s kind of the opposite of what we’d expect from recycled paper. Can you tell us a bit about the quality of recycled papers, why it’s good to use them, and how you choose them for picture books?

Keith: Twenty years ago, there were few viable options for recycled paper, especially post consumer waste (PCW). Those papers looked recycled with dull finishes and were very expensive compared to virgin pulp paper. Today there is a plethora of recycled papers that perform fantastically, at competitive prices. To achieve the desired look and feel of LPP books, we typically use the highest grade of recycled paper available. The key to recycled content is specifying PCW which would otherwise have added millions of metric tons of material trucked to land-fills each year.

Dani: The LPP books are printed using soy inks. What are those exactly, and why are they better for the environment? How is it important for a children’s product?

Keith: Most modern North American printing plants have converted from petroleum-based inks to soy or vegetable-based inks. Petroleum-based inks are loaded with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are harmful to the environment, whereas vegetable-based inks have little or no VOCs, and perform just as well as petroleum inks.

Unquestionably the largest push for soy inks centered on health issues regarding small children – babies and toddlers who, as everyone has witnessed, chew and suck on book covers. Blood tests showed elevated and sometimes dangerous levels of lead poisoning with young children. Lead based inks were domestically phased out in the 1970s, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was instrumental in outlawing the practice in 1986, and limited the amount of lead in inks used in imported children’s books. Further restrictions were signed into law with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which prohibits even minute levels of lead in any product intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger.

Dani: So the production cost (not including any writing, editing, illustration, etc.) of an LPP book is roughly 2-3 times per book more than a large traditional publisher might pay?

Keith: Yes. For LPP’s model, this is due primarily to the recycled paper we require, and to manufacturing processes that produce our stunning works of art. A book that would cost less than a dollar to print in China would cost LPP $3.75 - $4.75. We take a great deal of pride in these books and are meticulous in the manufacturing process.

Dani: There’s an environmental impact statement in each of the LPP books. Who provides that for inclusion in the book?

Keith: That is information I receive from paper mills, corrugated box suppliers, printers, and ink suppliers, as either raw data or converted data, to reflect environmental savings. I take that information and plug it into the Environmental Defense Fund paper calculator, and a private third-party environmental calculator, and average the results.

Dani: Here’s a copy of one so everyone can see. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us, Keith! Readers, if you have a question for Keith Anthony, please leave it in the comments.

Also, don’t forget our Earth Day Special continues until the last day of April. Receive FREE SHIPPING and 25% off your entire order with the purchase of Sofia's Dream. Just enter LPPSofia12 at checkout. Click here to order.

Great Sunflower Project

noreply@blogger.com (Dani) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

By Gretchen LeBuhn , Director of the Great Sunflower Project

Anyone who has been near a newspaper, radio, or television has heard about declines in bees. Colony collapse disorder has been wiping out close to 40% of the commercial hives each year. Native bees also appear to be struggling. In 2006, I wanted to understand what effect this was having on our gardens and how best to put our limited conservation dollars to work. I wanted a map – a map of national scale that showed areas with good abundance of bees and poor abundance of bees.

We couldn’t possibly make a map like this with traditional (i.e. technical experts) methods – to make this map we needed to engage a network of volunteer “citizen scientists”. That spring, I created a website and sent out about 20 emails to garden groups across the United States. Two weeks later, I left for spring break feeling very proud that a couple of hundred people had signed up. Mid-week, I went to check the site and it was down. I called my web guru and he had taken it down thinking we were being targeted by a spammer. Instead, we had gone viral – over 15,000 people signed up that week, completely blowing both my mind and budget! The growth has been explosive ever since.

With that many volunteers collecting data as a group, these citizen scientists are providing huge leverage on a minimal investment in science and have created the first detailed international survey of pollinator health and how it influences people’s ability to raise food. Imagine how much it would cost, if I had to send a student out to every back yard in North America. Getting this kind of scientific data at thousands of locations using traditional scientific methods would cost so much money it would never happen.

There are a couple steps to participating – after you sign up and give us information on your garden, you plant Lemon Queen sunflower seeds (everyone gets the same variety so we know we are comparing apples to apples – there are some sunflowers that are actually pollen-less). Then once your sunflower blooms, you watch your flower for 15 minutes and record the number of bees that visit. That’s it! It’s easy and, gosh, it’s fun to see the variety of bees. You can immediately compare your yard’s bees per hour to state and national averages and understand how well your bee community is doing.

We made the map, but we also made something much more along the way – a community of engaged citizens from all walks of life doing science. This year we hit 100,000 people who have signed on to the Great Sunflower Project!

The results have been unexpected and heartening. Participants from bloggers to school kids to garden groups to the incarcerated people who have done some simple science – observing bees on sunflowers – have become engaged with science and are interested in learning more; are advocating for native pollinators; and are taking action. Girl scouts and eagle scouts are participating, as are academic scientists, and master gardeners. More unexpected to me, we are reaching home-schooling families, and women over 50 – a group that we often forget to engage in science and learning. There is even a senior center in South Carolina where adults in wheelchairs comment that they love being part of a community and contributing something useful.

We’d love to have you join us. Click here for more information.

Gretchen LeBuhn is an associate professor of biology at San Francisco State, director of the Great Sunflower Project, and a mother of twins.