First Book and Macmillan Mark 50th Anniversary of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? With First-ever Bilingual Edition

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?/Oso Pardo, Oso Pardo, ¿Qué Ves Ahí? Expands First Book’s Stories for All Project^TM, Bringing Classics and Diverse Books to Kids in Need

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2017 – First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 160 million books to kids in need, and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group are ensuring that children in need from diverse backgrounds have access to classic books with the release of a limited special edition of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?/ Oso Pardo, Oso Pardo, ¿Qué Ves Ahí?. This first bilingual version of the iconic children’s book also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the title’s publication this year. The First Book edition of the English-Spanish board book is available exclusively on the First Book Marketplace (www.fbmarketplace.org),the organization’s award-winning e-commerce site that offers books and resources at low or no cost exclusively to educators and programs serving children in need. It is also available on the First Book Canada Marketplace (www.fbmpcanada.org).

The special edition of Brown Bear / Oso Pardo becomes the latest addition to First Book’s Stories for All Project^TM, a groundbreaking initiative focused on increasing diversity in children’s books, and access to affordable, diverse titles. The Stories for All Project^TM comprises more than a third of the First Book Marketplace’s 6,000 titles.

The impact of bilingual books extends beyond the classroom, First Book’s network of registered educators report. In a focus group comprised of representatives from First Book’s membership of 300,000 formal and informal educators, participants asserted that increased access to books improves the literacy of the entire family, and reduces the isolation experienced by immigrants and English Language Learners, both students and their parents.

“All of us are familiar with the delight that reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear generates in young children. But for kids from low-income backgrounds, lack of access to relevant, culturally appropriate books dramatically inhibits not only the development of a love of reading, but also their future academic success.” said Kyle Zimmer, First Book president and CEO. “We’re thrilled to extend our long-standing partnership with Macmillan to celebrate the anniversary of this beloved book and introduce it to a new audience through the First Book Marketplace.”

“It has been our pleasure to discover how much Brown Bear has meant to families during the 50 years since it was published, and we are thrilled to partner with First Book to make Brown Bear accessible to even more families,” said Laura Godwin, vice president and publisher of Godwin Books, an imprint of Henry Holt Books for Young Readers.

Macmillan has also developed resources and activity kits for teachers to use as a companion to the book in the classroom.

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About First Book

First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1992 that has distributed more than 160 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada, which, with more than 300,000 members, is the largest and fastest growing network of educators serving kids in need. By making new, high-quality books and educational resources available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education.

Eligible educators, librarians, providers, and others serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contacts:
Melanie Boyer
First Book
mboyer@firstbook.org
202-639-0144