Barefoot Books

The 'Ayo's Adventure' installation at the Concord Museum Family Trees exhibit is now up! The installation is a collaborative effort by artists Char Jeré and Meaghan Elyse Lueck who were inspired by Ain Heath Drew's engaging story and Erin K. Robinson's stunning illustrations in 'Ayo's Adventure: Across the African Diaspora from Afro to Zulu,' to craft an engaging experience that resonates with audiences of all ages. Families will be drawn into Ayo's enchanting journey with branches that represent the rich tapestry of adventures that Ayo and readers encounter along the way. Visitors will be able to join in an interactive, kid-friendly activity inspired by the book, encouraging them to connect with its themes in a hands-on way. They will even be greeted with a special audio message from the author! Visit the Concord Museum Family Trees exhibit now through January 1st, 2025.

We are excited to share that Chicago Public Library added our picture book, ‘I’ll See You in Ijebu’ written by Bunmi Emenanjo and illustrated by diana ejaita, to their “Best Fiction for Younger Readers of 2024” list! 👏 ‘I’ll See You in Ijebu’ tells the story of a Catholic girl growing up in the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria who takes a trip to spend a week with her Muslim extended family in the countryside town of Ijebu to celebrate Eid al-Adha. Breathtaking illustrations and poetic writing draws the reader into the sensory experience of celebrating Eid in Nigeria.

“These books have so many layers and give children so many ways to engage with storytelling and educational content… This kind of multisensory engagement is so good for little brains and bodies as they develop, helping to build listening and gross motor skills.” Thank you Siân Gaetano and Shelf Awareness for publishing this awesome interview with our executive editor Kate DePalma about her work on our Barefoot Books Singalong Collection!

Congratulations to our partner Reach Out and Read on receiving the Kristof Impact Initiative prize from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nick Kristof!    He writes, “(Reach Out and Read) hands out children’s books to low-income American families — more than seven million books last year — but even more important, it piggybacks on well-child visits to pediatricians, who encourage parents to read to the child regularly.”   What could be better than that!? In the spirit of giving, consider supporting Reach Out and Read and their mission to provide families with the tools they need to foster early literacy and strong family bonds through shared reading. Give now and your donation will be doubled! Learn more and donate here: https://lnkd.in/emk554Ed

"In any language, these efforts and partnerships translate into good news for educators and kids and families in underserved communities." We are thrilled to announce our partnership with First Book to bring bilingual books in over 19 languages to the kids who need them most. We've identified the growing need for books in global languages, and are honored to work with First Book to contribute to their World Languages category on the First Book Marketplace. Learn more about our partnership and our spring 2025 product offering, Barefoot Bilinguals, in this Publishers Weekly article.

Putting a spotlight on some of our AMAZING Community Booksellers who are working hard to bring important books to their communities. 🌟Community Bookseller Spotlight 🌟: Cindy Stoecker! ❤️ What’s your favorite Barefoot book? – ‘The Little Red Hen’ retold by Mary Finch and illustrated by Kate Slater. ❤️ How do you bring Barefoot Books to your community? – I sell Barefoot Books in very traditional ways: farmer’s markets, church fairs, apple and strawberry festivals, and to my friends. This summer, I hosted an event at my local library where author Hayley Barrett read ‘The Tiny Baker.’ We had twenty-five 5-10 year old children come to listen, make lady bug crafts, and enjoy a tea party. Another event I started several years ago was story walks at my farm. I am involved with the local Family Resource Centers and they come to the farm with their families and walk our trails and read Barefoot Books. ❤️ Why are you a Barefoot Books Community Bookseller? – I understand the importance of having books available to children, utilizing libraries, reading to them stories that have meaning, talking about how they make us feel, books that take us somewhere, books that make us dream and learn. I love how I feel as people look at Barefoot Books and say these are beautiful books! Interested in learning more about the Community Bookseller Program? 📚 https://rebrand.ly/7cg9gty

Thank you to the National Education Association for selecting 'Benita and the Night Creatures' (written by Mariana Llanos and illustrated by Cocoretto Illustration) as the Read Across America Elementary pick for October 2024! 📚👻 Click on the link below for inspiration on how to use this not-so-spooky story to spark discussions and reflective writing.

The first couple of days of Frankfurter Buchmesse have been a blast 📚 There's still time to stop by our stand (6.0 D76), we'd love to see you! #fbm24

Please come visit me at the Barefoot stand at Frankfurt!

Will we be seeing you in Frankfurt? We can't believe it is almost time to head to the amazing Frankfurt Book Fair! There's still time to book a meeting with our team members Nancy Traversy, Suzanne Albert and Joana Gonçalves in Hall 6.0 Stand D76. Just send us a message to connect and make an appointment! We look forward to seeing you soon! 📚