Children's Book Presentation in Seattle!

Aunt Imelda's Dinosaur
Other Things AIDS Doesn't Stand For

 

 

Much talked about in this blog, John Lipp and my children's  book focusing on AIDS is being featured next week in Seattle Washington with global health organization, PATH.

PATH is an international, nonprofit organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. By collaborating with diverse public- and private-sector partners, we help provide appropriate health technologies and vital strategies that change the way people think and act.

John and I are especially excited to present Aunt Imelda at PATH because of their innovative global work in AIDS treatment and prevention.  It's our hope that Aunt Imelda will be able to add huge value to AIDS prevention programs domestically, and in the areas of the world that are suffering most from AIDS. 

And, WOW! PATH has made us feel so welcome!  Even the invitation to our 'brown bag' meeting is an inspiring new summary of the work ahead for John and me.  The invitation is reprinted below, and look back here at this blog for the outcomes of our presentation! 

Description of brown bag for Aunt Imelda

Kevin Woodson and John Lipp

Authors John Lipp and Kevin Woodson are working on a new concept in Children’s Literature. Their book, Aunt Imelda’s Dinosaur Stew and Other Things AIDS Doesn’t Stand For, is a whimsical and accessible picture book focusing on compassion and awareness about HIV/AIDS. 

Twenty-five years into the pandemic, people assume that domestic intervention programs are addressing all vulnerable constituents, but it’s surprising how few appropriate resources are available for children, ages 4-8; one of the most needy and impressionable audiences.  John and Kevin are well aware of the power of stories, characters, and their potentially enormous effects on kids.  Aunt Imelda is inspired by some of the most successful children’s icons of the past 50 years, such as Woodsy Owl’s campaign against polluting, Smoky Bear’s forest safety messages, and, recently, Carmen Sandiego’s fantastic success with Geography!  John and Kevin created the character of Aunt Imelda to help younger children learn just the facts that are appropriate and critical for them at their developmental stage.

Because Aunt Imelda is a book with a vision, the book’s success won’t be measured by how many copies are sold off of Amazon.com or out of Barnes and Noble, but the success of this book truly depends on:  How well it might fit into and support AIDS programs that focus on this audience — whether existing program,or new programs that could potentially evolve from Imelda.

That’s why Aunt Imelda’s relationship with PATH is so important, and why we need your ideas.  We believe that Aunt Imelda presents a new way to link some of PATH’s domestic and international programs.  Aunt Imelda can benefit from some of the cutting edge field work PATH is doing, particularly around communicating with children and adolescents, and we can begin laying the groundwork for a culturally appropriate international transliteration.

We’d like to invite you to a Brown Bag Lunch, this October 30 at 12:30 PM in the 1 North room at PATH Headquarters in Seattle.  Imelda’s creators, John and Kevin will be here to share the current draft of the book, share their vision, and get your input on our current direction.

Some at PATH may remember Imelda co-creator Kevin Woodson as the artist who provided the visual energy and enthusiasm for our international visioning meeting in Seattle in April.  Kevin will have his markers again, and will open the Brown Bag up to a similar free-form opportunity for creativity and spontaneous idea-generation.  With Kevin’s help, we will conceptualize and brainstorm the ‘ideal’ program that would benefit from Aunt Imelda, and how to summarize, transliterate and deliver such a program internationally.  So come ready to have some fun and build on your colleagues’ best thinking, because this won’t be like a typical presentation.  We’ll be asking your feedback and wild ideas, and we’ll draw the picture of your input!

Thanks very much, and looking forward to seeing you there!
 

Comments

[Hiro]

Another great work ! I have been waiting for this book so long since Matthew introduced some of the pictures in his blog. It is such an amazing concept this book has, and also very inspiring in so many ways. I cannot wait to buy a copy myself in the near future and enjoy all the details. I want to share this great book with many people from all over the world, and it is such an honor to know the author and painter in person.

[Kevin Woodson]

Hi Hiro,

I hope we have lots of books to share -- you're such a great ambassador for everything we write! I can't wait to show you what I'm working on next...