Industry News
January 2011
Barefoot Books Kicks Off Winter Season with Donations to Book Aid and First Book
Children at the orphanage
To celebrate the coming season and help children with little or no access to books, independent children’s publisher Barefoot Books donated one book for every purchase made throughout the month of November, including online purchases made at http://www.barefootbooks.com. Purchases made in the UK will benefit Book Aid International; those made in the USA will support First Book. Book Aid International and First Book are charities that give new books to children in need. These philanthropic partnerships illustrate Barefoot Books’ commitment to giving back by supporting charities that help educate children through stories and art.
“Picture books are essential to helping children explore deeper ways of seeing, sensing and feeling, all critical developmental milestones in the lives of any child, and particularly those who are facing difficult times,” said Nancy Traversy, Co-founder and CEO, Barefoot Books. “We are pleased to be donating some of our best-selling books to help children in the developing world have a brighter future with books they can cherish and learn from long after the winter holidays are over.”
Book Aid International, a London-based charity, provides hundreds of thousands of books to libraries in the developing world every year. Clive Nettleton, Director of Book Aid International, said: “It’s great that Barefoot Books has chosen to support our work in this way. Their fantastic range of books for children will be hugely appreciated by the many thousands of children throughout sub-Saharan Africa who will be able to read these donated books.”
Barefoot Books has been donating new books to First Book since 2004. This initiative has resulted in thousands of books provided to children in need through literacy organisations, homeless shelters, and qualifying schools. “First Book is delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Barefoot Books through this holiday promotion,” said Kyle Zimmer, Co-Founder and President, First Book. “We are grateful for Barefoot Books’ commitment to literacy and are excited about the opportunity to engage their readers in working to improve access to much needed educational materials for children in need nationwide.”
For more information about the Barefoot Books donation promotion, including a short video that shows the impact a donation of Barefoot books has on children, visit http:// www.barefootbooks.com/uk/story/giving_back, or contact Jen McDerra at +44 (0) 1225 322414.
About Barefoot Books
Barefoot Books is an independent publisher, with offices in Bath, Somerset, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. The company specialises in carefully crafted books, gifts and digital content that help children on their journey to becoming happy, engaged members of the global community. Since 1992, Barefoot Books has published more than 400 titles that use timeless stories and captivating illustrations to tap into the wisdom of many cultures, while never forgetting that childhood is a time for fun. Barefoot Books are available online, through booksellers, and through its community of Ambassadors. For more information, visit www. barefootbooks.com.
