It may be cold as ever here in glorious Minneapolis, but we Lerners are keeping our spirits up by thinking about the amazing titles we’re releasing in the coming months! (And we’re drinking a lot of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. That helps, too.)
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| We wish it looked like this outside. It doesn’t. |
Let’s turn our attention to a warmer climate…
Plastic bags all but ubiquitous both here in the United States and around the world. One of our spring picture books, One Plastic Bag, tells the inspirational story of Isatou Ceesay, a woman in Njau, Gambia, who found an unusual, non-toxic way to recycle used plastic bags that had been lying in ugly, smelly piles by the side of the road.
So what’d she do? She began cleaning the discarded bags, weaving them into purses and pouches, and selling them! Elizabeth Zunon’s collage-style art perfectly complements this story of someone making a difference, even when other people thought change was impossible.
Besides the timeline, glossary, and recommended reading section in the backmatter, this thought-provoking picture book has an excellent website created by author Miranda Paul. On it, you can watch the book trailer, learn more about plastic bags, buy purses made by Isatou and her coworkers, and find teacher resources including a PowerPoint about the Gambia and several activity ideas.
Also, Miranda Paul and Elizabeth Zunon are putting together a tour-de-force book tour! Keep up to date with the events section of their website; we’ll post about events via Facebook and Twitter as well. Plus, Isatou herself will be joining Miranda and Elizabeth for part of it, so stay tuned…
One Plastic Bag is available as of last Sunday at a bookstore near you.
Oh, and one more bonus feature: Miranda did a great interview about One Plastic Bag, her writing process, and her favorite picture books that can inspire kids here.