News & Reviews

Power Rangers writer Stewart St John releases children’s book
St John-Fisher Entertainment, a rising star in the children and family publishing and multimedia market creating innovative content across all media platforms, has released Stewart St John’s new children’s illustrated book Snookery And The Great Glowing Acorn.

Power Rangers IconsThe award-winning children’s television writer/director and visionary behind the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers wrote Snookery And The Great Glowing Acorn as a picture book aimed at teaching a new generation the ‘golden rules’ through the magic and wonder of an inspirational talking squirrel, Snookery Snicklehorn. “The golden rules are about treating ourselves and each other with respect,” St John said. “They aren’t so much rules as they are ways of being, things I learned growing up and something I wanted to impart to children growing up today.”

“Snookery is a positive, furry chap who likes to take naps,” St John explained about the story, the first in a planned series of books collectively called The Magical Adventures of Snookery Snicklehorn. “But one day he hears grumbling from the town below and discovers a young boy who’s upset about being housebound on a snowy day. So he teaches the boy about the power of appreciation, and gives the child a whole new perspective on life as they embark on a magical journey together.”

Snookery And The Great Glowing Acorn is seventy-six pages and filled with gorgeous illustrations by leading artist Joan Perrin-Falquet. Perrin-Falquet is well-known to inspirational audiences for her work with Louise L Hay and Hay House on books, audio books, calendars and gifts.

Lori Benton named VP & publisher, Scholastic Trade Publishing
Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, has appointed Lori Benton as vice president and publisher, for the Scholastic Trade Publishing division. In her new role, Benton will oversee direction of the publishing programme for all imprints of the division. She will assume her new responsibilities early next year, and report to Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade Publishing.

Benton was most recently the general manager and publisher of the fiction division of Capstone Publishers, in Bloomington, Minnesota, and is currently chairman of the board of directors for Every Child a Reader, the non-profit foundation of The Children’s Book Council dedicated to promoting the enjoyment and importance of reading among America’s youth. Prior to her position at Capstone, Benton was vice president and publisher of the Children’s Books Division at Harcourt; associate publisher and director of marketing for Henry Holt Books for Young Readers; and associate marketing director for the children’s book division at William Morrow & Company. Benton also spent thirteen years as the children’s book buyer at The Book Shop in Boise, Idaho.

Scholastic Corporation is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology and related services and children’s media. Scholastic creates quality books, print and technology-based learning materials and programmes, magazines, multi-media and other products that help children learn both at school and at home.

Story books in villages: now a reality!
Pearson Education (Pearson Longman) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Pratham Books, a non-profit platform, to promote reading among marginalised children in villages and small towns of India.

Vivek Govil, chief operating officer and president of Pearson Education-India (the Indian arm of Pearson), and Rohini Nilekani, the founder-chairperson said,

“Pearson will keep aside an amount of 50 paise from the sale of every school title in India to help Pratham buy story books for children.” However, the clause will not be ‘applicable to titles published by Pearson for different state boards or special deals’, the memorandum said.

Set up in the year 2004, Pratham publishes quality books for children in multiple Indian languages at subsidised prices.

A Trail of Paint
Author: Anjali Raghbeer
Illustrator: Saumya Menon
(ISBN 81-8146-651-9, Rs 200)

A Trail of PaintThe story is simple – a young boy is unwillingly taken to an exhibition of Jamini Roy’s paintings. He thought that it would be another boring cultural trip but it turned out to be a mysterious day. He meets an old man who helps him discover the place where fake paintings are made. He learns the difference between creating and copying.

The storyline is simple, the illustrations attractive, the language easy – just perfect for the kids. This book is part of the ‘Looking at Art’ series which leads children into the world of sensibilities of some of India’s best known artists. It is an engaging introduction to art and artist through story, memoir and biography. It is an informative and interesting story for the kids.
-Varsha

Bookaroo: festival of children literature
Bookaroo: festival of children literatureThe 2010 Bookaroo, Children’s Literature Festival was held in the beautiful heritage property, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts from Novermber 26-28, 2010. Bookaroo held India’s first festival of children’s literature in Delhi in the year 2008. Bookaroo, Children’s Literature Festival is now an annual event in New Delhi and has grown to include Bookaroo in the City, where book related activities are held in schools across New Delhi. Plans to bring the Children’s Literature Festival and Bookaroo in the City to other towns across India are also underway.