WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise that has
distributed more than 150 million books to kids in need, and
Penguin Random House, a global leader in children's publishing, are
partnering to bring 5,000 brand-new books and pairs of warm red
mittens to children in low-income communities this winter. The Red
Mitten Campaign, supported by award-winning children's author
Andrea Davis Pinkney and the Ezra
Jack Keats Foundation, marks the release of Pinkney's "A Poem for
Peter," which tells the inspiring story of Keats, author of "The
Snowy Day," and creator of Peter, the book's red-suited main
character.
The Campaign will donate up to 5,000 brand-new books and 5,000
pairs of brand-new red mittens for every Ezra Jack Keats title sold in participating book
stores through the end of December.
"We are so grateful to Penguin Young Readers and Andrea Davis Pinkney for partnering with us to
celebrate this iconic title and simultaneously serve children,"
said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO
of First Book. "Pairing the beloved Peter – one of the first
widely-read children's books featuring an African-American child –
with a pair of warm mittens for a child in need is a gift that
meets some of the most acute needs in the communities we serve. It
supports our mission to promote diversity in children's literature,
and it provides warmth in the winter months."
Listed as a "Best Book of 2016" by Amazon, Kirkus Reviews, and
Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus says "A Poem for Peter" is, "A
love letter to the man who gave readers the beautiful and enduring
image of a black boy in a red hooded snowsuit…More to the point,
Pinkney lets readers know what Peter meant and still means as a
milestone in inclusive children's literature…He brought a world of
white / suddenly alive with color…A loving and forceful reminder
that Keats' Peter is our Peter—always."
"When a child has warm hands on a cold day, those hands can hold
a book," Pinkney said. "Those same warm hands and their eager
fingers can point out a book's pictures, follow its words,
turn its pages, and share that book with the next reader. I'm
so grateful to First Book for making warm hands and eager readers
possible."
Book ownership and a print-rich environment are leading
indicators of a child's educational success, but for the 32 million
children growing up in low-income families in the U.S.
alone1, books are scarce. A recent study found that in
one Washington, D.C.,
neighborhood, there was only one book for every 830
children.2
About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1992 that
has distributed more than 150 million books and educational
resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income
families throughout the United
States and Canada, which,
with more than 275,000 members, is the largest and fastest growing
network of educators exclusively serving kids in need. By making
new, high-quality books and educational resources available on an
ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in
need and elevating the quality of education. Eligible educators,
librarians, program leaders, and others serving children in need
can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information, please
visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news
on Facebook and Twitter.
About Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House, the world's largest trade book publisher,
is dedicated to its mission of nourishing a universal passion for
reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers
everywhere. The company, which employs more than 10,000 people
globally, was formed on July 1, 2013,
by Bertelsmann and Pearson, who own 53 percent and 47 percent,
respectively. With nearly 250 independent imprints and brands on
five continents, Penguin Random House comprises adult and
children's fiction and nonfiction print and digital trade book
publishing businesses in more than 20 countries worldwide,
including the U.S., U.K., Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, China, India,
South Africa, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru,
Portugal, and Uruguay. With over 15,000 new titles, and
close to 800 million print, audio and eBooks sold annually, Penguin
Random House's publishing lists include more than 60 Nobel Prize
laureates and hundreds of the world's most widely read
authors.
1 National Center for Children in Poverty
(www.nccp.org) Basic Facts About Low Income Children, Children
under 18 years, 2011.
2 Neuman, S. B., & Moland, N. (2016). Book Deserts:
Consequences of Income Segregation on Children's Access to Print.
Urban Education,51 (6): 1-22.
Contact:
Melanie Boyer, First Book
mboyer@firstbook.org
(202) 639-0114
Lauren Donovan, Penguin Random
House
ldonovan@penguinrandomhouse.com
(212) 414‐3639
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SOURCE First Book