In addition to winning Creative Child Magazine’s 2007 Preferred Choice Award for ONE IS FUN, WRB Publishing announced its debut title is a finalist in the Hardcover Non-Fiction Children's Picture Book category of the National "Best Books 2007" Awards from USA Book News.
Child literacy and education experts, including Creative Child Magazine’s panel of child psychologists, child educators and parents, endorse ONE IS FUN, written by former teacher Leona DeRosa Bodie. Her 83-year-old mother Catherine Baptista Davis, a former New Bedford, Massachusetts resident and 1943 graduate of New Bedford High, created the watercolor illustrations. Much like Grandma Moses’ later life leap - Davis, specializing in watercolors with no formal art background, began painting portraits and landscapes in her seventies after retiring from a seamstress career. In 1998, she exhibited some of her work in Miami and sold her first painting at a juried art show at the age of 75.
Bodie said, “Our mission was to create that important first book that inspires babies (0-4), gives them a positive experience and hooks them on reading.” Her website, http://www.leonabodie.com features the book and offers free educational activities to stimulate toddlers’ inquisitiveness and motivate them to have fun learning.
USA Book News, the online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, confirmed the winners and the finalists of THE NATIONAL “BEST BOOKS” 2007 AWARDS (BBA) on November 1, 2007. Over 500 winners and finalists were announced in over 140 categories covering print, audio books & courses, e-books and interactive CD-ROMs. Awards were presented for titles published in 2007 and late 2006. ONE IS FUN, released May 2007, scored the honor despite being pitted against industry giants. Simon & Schuster, Penguin-Putnam, HarperCollins, Random House, McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin Co., John Wiley & Sons & hundreds of independent titles contributed to this year’s outstanding BBA competition.
Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of USABookNews.com, said of the awards, now in their fourth year, “The 2007 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers throughout the U.S.” A complete list of the winners and finalists of the USABookNews.com National “Best Books” 2007 Awards are available online at http://www.USABookNews.com.
iParenting Media Awards recently said, “One Is Fun depicts the importance of family from parents, aunts uncles to grandparents. The book provided many examples of the experiences that a child and his/her family might have. Plus, the book is solidly constructed and endured even through teething.” One Is Fun retails for $12.95 and can be purchased through www.itascabooks.com or at 800-901-3480 or at Amazon.com.
