Rainbow Rumpus Leaps onto the Page with Printable Picture Books
by Laura Matanah
Have you snuggled by your children on the couch with one of our new printable picture books, leaving the computer in another room? Have you sent the links to every family with children between the ages of three and nine that you know? Have you asked your kids if they’d like to share them with their teachers and classmates?
I can’t tell you how excited I am to see these printable picture books and parent/teacher guides become a reality. It’s wonderful to be able to fulfill your wishes to make our stories available offline. Having heard how much the stories and the site mean to you and your kids, we have a PR campaign underway to make sure this new format enables us to connect and empower many more families. I’m also excited to see these stories reach children from all family structures through our emerging partnerships with preschools and religious educators in welcoming congregations.
The creation of these books has taken many hours of hard work on the part of our series editor, Beth Wallace; our designer, Zan Ceeley; and the professional authors and illustrators who have generously agreed to distribute their work in this format.
Rainbow Rumpus made history when we began publishing LGBT-family literature on the web in 2005. In 2007 we won a Dot.Org award from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits for “Awesome Audience Awareness.” In 2010 you’ll be able to read an interview with us in Children’s Writers and Illustrators’ Markets. Thanks to your support, we are now the most prolific publisher of LGBT-family fiction worldwide, creating more new literature each year than all other publishers combined. I want to thank all of you who contributed to our recent successful $12,000 campaign and helped make these books a reality.
Rainbow Rumpus was founded when my then-six-year-old daughter saw a tiny picture and exclaimed, “Look, look, it's two moms and twins, just like us!” Since then, Rainbow Rumpus stories and articles and the Rosen'Blue comics have spurred many family conversations about what it's like for my kids to grow up with lesbian parents. I look forward to hearing about the delight and conversations these printable books are sure to launch in your home. Here's to a new generation of young children who, as a result of our work, will be able to take for granted the experience of seeing LGBT-headed families in print.
