Traveling the world, Barefoot

Four and a half years ago, I became a mom and started amassing children’s books. A year later, my library was still shockingly short on titles that involved international subjects, foreign lands or multi-ethnic themes. Having a bi-racial family and trying to raise global citizens meant exposing them to a broader range of topics than I was finding on display tables at big-box book shops. The variety was better at independent retailers but I still hadn’t come upon any particular publisher that resonated with me. Not until I found Barefoot Books that is.

Perhaps I’m a little pickier than average parents because writing is a personal passion; in college, I double-minored in English (Poetry and Film Studies) and I hold a Master’s Degree in Journalism. This isn’t to claim that I am a great writer by any means, just that I’ve been exposed to some really great writing. And while Robert McCloskey remains my favorite children’s author (perhaps it’s his subject matter), followed closely by E.B. White and Roald Dahl, as far as publisher’s go, Barefoot’s got my vote. And though they may not have any Caldecott Medals to their name (to win this award, both illustrator and author must be US citizens; a claim Barefoot can seldom make), their books are culturally interesting, age appropriate, thought provoking and visually stimulating.

I’m hooked and shortly, I’ll tell you why…