Move over Berenstain Bears, Cat in the Hat, Arthur and Amelia Bedelia; Joey the Bunny is hopping his way into the world of children's literature, and he is on a mission to simultaneously entertain and give back to those in need.
Joey the Bunny is a product of Big Bunny Workshop, which, in turn, is the brainchild of Jeff Maciejewski, Associate Professor of Advertising in Creighton University's School of Journalism. Jeff's motivations for creating Big Bunny Workshop were simple: to raise money and provide education to children in need. As an educator and father, Jeff believes education is vital for improving children's lives and ultimately eliminating poverty.
Big Bunny Workshop currently has one published book, Joey the Bunny Gets Lost, and a second on the way, Joey the Bunny Gives Back. 100% of the profits from these books go straight to charity. Yes, 100%. Every penny. And Joey the Bunny Gets Lost is conveniently available in paperback, Kindle and Nook versions. So for those of you with technologically advanced little ones, you can read this to them digitally as well!
Sales of the books support causes like Jardin de Amor (Garden of Love), which is an education project in the poverty-stricken village of Santa Maria de Jesus in Guatemala. project enrolls more than 100 children from 6-16 years of age, teaching them math, writing and science as well as allowing them to participate in play that is nearly impossible when not in school.
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| A parent teacher and a volunteer from England give a math lesson. |
However, Jardin de Amor has reached capacity, and must turn away students unless it raises money to purchase extra land and build more space. That's where Joey the Bunny and Big Bunny Workshop come in.
I was under Jeff's tutelage at Creighton University, and know how much of a kind-hearted, dedicated person he is. When I first read about his new venture, I was in awe. It's a selfless endeavor, and I can't help but respect the fact that he's putting in so much work for the sole purpose of helping others.
Naturally, I jumped on the opportunity to purchase a book and contribute to this great cause. Plus, my daughter is absolutely nuts about having stories read to her, so as far as I'm concerned, there can never be enough new books in the house.
When I sat down with Ava to read Joey the Bunny Gets Lost for the first time, she immediately presented Joey with a kiss. As you know from my previous post, this her seal of approval, so I instantly knew we had a winner.
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| Ava showing concern for Joey's well being. |
The story revolves around Joey getting lost, and his family trying to find him. I won't give away any spoilers, but we'll just say the book DOES have a happy ending. It was actually a very cute story, and has a nice lesson for preschool/Kindergarten age children. Ava is still too young to understand book concepts, but the artwork in the book did a great job of keeping her attention throughout.
We made it about halfway through before she decided to get up and momentarily pursue another activity. Now don't consider that a knock against the book; this is the girl that took 3 months to sit all the way through Goodnight Moon, so listening to half of a book in one sitting is actually excellent for her.
When she finally returned and we finished the story, Ava presented the entire bunny family with a second kiss, and proceeded to get up from my lap and move on with her life. For an 18-month-old, that's a pretty glowing review!
So Ava and I both give Joey the Bunny Gives Back a big thumbs (paws?) up. But really, with the incredible cause associated with the book, how can you not?
If you are interested in learning more about Big Bunny Workshop or purchasing Joey the Bunny Gets Lost, visit the Big Bunny Workshop blog. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
1 comments:
My oh my, thank you Ava and Pat! You're awesome! Joey's thrilled--he wants you to know, Ava, that he likes you very much and that you should remember to tell your mom and dad when your balls bounces out of the yard so that YOU don't get lost in the woods!
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