Change THE MESSAGE one child at a time: VILLAGE ASHANTI PUBLISHING
Who We Are - Village Ashanti Publishing
My Story, My Why
Village Ashanti publishing is created to deliver fun-filled first readers to impressionable minds. As a child, I learned that I hated reading, at least that's what I thought. Mrs. Green, my elementary school teacher, saw that on library day, I would sit outside of the reading groups and entertain myself with boredom energy antics. I had no interest in the monotone options available to read, I tried but I would get lost in re-writing the stories in what I saw as dynamic plots and favorable outcomes.
One day, Mrs. Green takes the time to sit with me during library day to help me discover that I don't hate reading, but I simply would rather read a different genre. I remember her introducing me then, to National Geographic, Readers Digest and the SRA reading kits. I am taken in by the vivid photography of nature, clever plots and the challenge of the SRA reading kits. I now loved reading so much, that I sought ways to earn money to purchase my very own Readers Digest subscription.
My young reading life is great until I read a National Geographic article titled, "Illiteracy and the right to read for everyone." Wow, I thought, there are adults that can't read? How did that happen? Did not Mrs. Green teach everyone to love to read?
I remember a famous Washington D.C. football player that confessed to his inability to read. He would ride the metro with a newspaper folded as if he is reading. How can this be, I thought.
My reason for creating, Village Ashanti Publishing as I transition from a front-line worker to a creator of picture books, upbeat read alongs that invites, excites and motivates children to enjoy reading.
I would like to produce hardback copies of the manuscripts for the books I have written, starting with Chico, Poncho and Trixie in Dance with Me. My goal is to produce hardback copies of children's books for distribution. I have successfully produced a hard back children's book titled Maw-Maw's House, Smiles and Giggles-Giggles and Smiles. I independently funded this project, and it was well received. I was able to give out over a thousand books! But now I need financial assistance to move forward.
Moving forward, I have since managed to recruit two of my best friends that volunteer in their time off to assist me with researching funding opportunities and the logistics of distribution. Our goal is to make books available to parents and children who doesn't have Mrs. Green to share the excitement of reading with them. Village Ashanti Publishing and our children’s books are tools parents can use to read, bond and share on a nightly basis. At the annual book giveaways, I contract with parents to read nightly after their child receives the gifted book.
Hence the name Village, from the proverb, it takes a Village. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I hope that you will become a member of Village Ashanti. With your support we can provide the portal to dreams, self-confidence and self-love for impressionable minds, the love of reading!