Twin Sisters' Award-Winning Children's Multimedia Company to Launch Kickstarter to Promote New Picture Book Release
NEW CANAAN, Conn: The Friendly Bookshelf is an inspiring, beautifully-illustrated picture book that centers around an unlikely character: a little bookshelf named Bibli. Despite his size, he carries a BIG question on his shelves: Could there be a story somewhere about a bookshelf, like me?
Twin sisters, published authors, and multimedia company founders Caroline and Katherine Brickley began writing The Friendly Bookshelf last year to help children develop the confidence to share their own stories, as well as be the pioneers of a more inclusive world where everybody (and every bookshelf!) feels safe to be themselves — or "them-shelves"— as is the bookshelf lingo.
Caroline and Katherine will be launching preorders for The Friendly Bookshelf first on Kickstarter starting June 8th, where for a limited time backers will have a chance to help fund the publication of the book while also receiving exclusive rewards — including early editions of the story, deluxe signed book bundles, virtual author visits and more.
"It is undeniable how important it is for children to see themselves represented in the media they consume," said Katherine. "But the truth is, no story can ever fully capture the unique stories we all carry inside." "While presenting relatable characters that all children will be able to find both inspiration AND a friend in," continued Caroline, "the most important thing The Friendly Bookshelf does is help children recognize the unique story they carry inside themselves and then — find the confidence to share that story."
To ensure The Friendly Bookshelf, meets this important mission of nurturing critical social-emotional learning skills, specifically self-confidence, compassion, and inclusion, Caroline and Katherine worked with Dr. Laura Zimmermann of Tech Play Collaborative to develop the story in addition to a lesson plan that will aid parents and teachers in using the book as a positive tool of development and learning.
The sisters have also already launched The Friendly Bookshelf's Everyone Has a Story Campaign, an initiative through which they are bringing together children from around the world within a safe online community to share their stories and read those of others. The goal of this initiative is to make sure all children feel seen, heard, and celebrated for who they are.
