The Kentucky Humanities Council has selected a children’s book published by Louisville-based Baxter’s Corner to be part of the 2018 Kentucky Book Fair scheduled for the Kentucky Horse Park, November 17, 2018. Written by Chief Pencil (author) Linda Baker and illustrated by Chief Crayon (illustrator) and Baxter’s Corner Managing Partner Mary Ellen Stottmann, Gerome Sticks His Neck Out is the story of a shy giraffe who chooses to step out of his comfort zone to help someone who is being bullied. Along the way, he discovers the benefits of his height and makes a new friend.
Gerome Sticks His Neck Out is a Mom’s Choice Award® winner and the most recent publication in a collection of six stories developed by Baxter’s Corner. The books share life lessons and help young children build character around essential skills and fundamental values such as compassion, respect, determination and resilience.
Other Baxter’s Corner titles include Ally Alone, Ellema Sneezes, Sideways Fred, Oakley in Knots, a recent recipient of the Creative Child Preferred Choice Award® and What a Tree It Will Be!, which just won the International Book Excellence Award®.
In addition to the story, each Baxter’s Corner book includes a “Go Beyond” section that provides an added experience, complete with thought-provoking questions and fun learning activities that encourage discussions among children and their caregivers.
The Kentucky Book Fair is in its 37th year and is the grand finale of the Kentucky Book Festival, a week-long celebration of reading and writing in Kentucky. Festival events include the Literary Luncheon and Author reception. This year, the Kentucky Book Fair will host 140 authors and thousands of readers in support of literacy for the public good.
In addition, the annual Kentucky Book Fair catalog will be published as part of the Fall issue of Kentucky Humanities magazine and distributed to 24,000 households, offices, and state parks throughout Kentucky. It will also be available online at kyhumanities.org.
"We are so excited to be part of this historic event,” said Baker. “We consider it a real honor to have our books take their place among Kentucky’s many storied authors and poets. We look forward to making new friends and learning so much more about Kentucky’s literary community.”
Each book also has its own set of accessories including puppets and original wall art, available as decals and canvases, to help create the Baxter’s Corner community.
About Baxter’s Corner
Baxter’s Corner is a Louisville-based company whose mission is to use creativity and storytelling to affect behavior choices through open discussion between children and adults about values and ethical topics that challenge today’s society, because Building Character is Child’s Play. For more information, go to www.baxterscorner.com.
About the Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc.
Kentucky Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C. The Council is supported by the National Endowment and by private contributions. We are not a state agency, and we receive no state funds, but we are proud partners with Kentucky's cultural, heritage, arts, and tourism agencies. We recognize a need to build civic engagement as well as literacy. Everyone has a story to tell, and everyone can learn from the stories of others. For more information, go to kyhumanities.org.