Head on over to our Flickr site to see photographs from some of the schools around the world participating in the Spirit of PaperTigers project… it won’t be long till we’ll have a slideshow in the sidebar here on the blog too. More feedback on the 2010 Book Set has come in, so we’ll be adding that over the coming weeks. In the meantime, enjoy seeing all those happy children rapt in books – both on the individual Participant Feedback pages and all together in Flickr…
Since it’s publication by Kids Can Press in 2008, One Hen: How One Small Loan Made A Big Difference, selected for the Sprit of PaperTigers 2010 Book Set, has evolved from an inspirational story into a non-profit organization, One Hen, Inc.
On the evening of May 7th, One Hen Inc. will mark its first anniversary with a celebration and fundraiser “It Takes a Village”. The celebration will take place at the Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley, MA, USA from 6:30 – 10pm. Highlights will include an African market, vibrant music, dance and inspiring stories from youth who have gained an entrepreneurial vision for their future through One Hen programs. Author of One Hen and co-founder of One Hen, Inc., Katie Smith Milway will be speaking and attendees will be shown a multimedia presentation of One Hen’s unique summer school enrichment program that helps inner city kids learn to build small businesses and share their success with their communities.
There’s plenty to celebrate! In the past year visitors from over 133 countries have used www.onehen.org and have accessed the One Hen resources that teach youth that true success comes with personal initiative, financial responsibility and a commitment to community. 7,0000 children have been involved in direct One Hen programs and Executive Director/Co-Founder Amma Sefa-Dedeh says that with this anniversary celebration/fundraiser they hope to raise enough funds to send 1,000 inner-city kids to this year’s One Hen summer school enrichment program.
Tickets for the celebration/fundraiser are $75 each and can be purchased by calling 917-319-0485 or e-mailing amma(at)onehen(dot)org.
The Storyteller’s Candle/ La velita de los cuentos Children’s Book Press, 2008) is one of the books selected for inclusion in the 2010 Spirit of PaperTigers Book Set, which is part of the Spirit of PaperTigers Project launched yesterday on our website. Set during the early years of the Great Depression (1929-1935), it tells the story of two children, cousins Hildamar and Santiago, who have moved with their families from Puerto Rico to New York and how their lives are transformed by coming into contact with librarian Pura Belpré, whose pioneering work revolutionised the roles of libraries within their communities.
This telling of Pura Belpré’s work through the eyes of children, written by Lucía González, makes a very special readaloud, both to a group of children and cosily at home. As the whole Puerto Rican community of El Barrio joins together to put on a play at the library to celebrate el Día de los Reyes, Three Kings’ Day on the 6th January, the cold outside is forgotten and the library is filled with the warmth not only from the roaring fire, but also from people’s hearts. Then, at the end,
“Ms. Belpré concluded the show in her usual way. “Close your eyes and make a wish,” she whispered as she held the storyteller’s candle.
Lulu Delacre’s gorgeous illustrations (and you can see some of them in her PaperTigers Gallery) are particularly special because she has added collage details to every page using a newspaper from 6th January 1930. I think my favorite, wittily accompanying this illustration of the audience at the library, is a column of thank yous to theatre critics for rave reviews…
Of course, Pura Belpré’s work continues to be commemorated by grown-ups with the awarding of the Pura Belpré medal, whose 2010 winners were announced in January. The Storyteller’s Candle means that children can share in her wonderful story too – and enjoy her legacy of libraries as hubs in their communities.
Today we are thrilled to be announcing our Spirit of PaperTigers Project, an initiative of Pacific Rim Voices, whose aim is to promote literacy while raising awareness of our common humanity. The idea is to donate 100 book sets of 7 carefully selected multicultural books to libraries and schools in areas of need across the globe.
The following titles have been selected for inclusion in the 2010 Book Set:
Planting The Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, by Claire A. Nivola. Frances Foster Books, 2008.
First Come the Zebra, by Lynne Barash. Lee & Low, 2009.
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Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing, by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow, illustrated by Helen Cann. Barefoot Books, 2008.
The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos, by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delacre. Children’s Book Press, 2008.
My Little Round House, by Bolormaa Baasansuren, English adaptation by Helen Mixter. Groundwood Books, 2009.
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes. Kids Can Press, 2008.
Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, by Grace Lin. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009.
Our website currently highlights all the authors and illustrators whose books have been selected, as well as other features related to the project. Please note that we will be further exploring the particular reasons for selecting each title, here, on the blog, during the month of February.
One important aspect of the Spirit of PaperTigers project is that we will be receiving feedback from the book set recipients. In the course of the coming months, as feedback comes in, we will be posting it to the blog and the site, so everyone can find out about where the books are going and who they are reaching.
To learn more about the project and enjoy the new features, visit the website. And please help us spread the word on this exciting new venture!…
