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Just
Doo-it: Children’s Books to Change the World
By
Marilyn Green Faulkner
At the holidays we feel a greater desire to reach out to those
in need, and Alan Green, children’s book author and member
of the Church, is providing a creative new way to do it
― with the help of some loveable characters called
(appropriately) the Doo-its.
Alan and his partner, Bram Wenger, have created a series of
children’s books that deal with such problems as poverty,
homelessness and hunger. Each story inspires children to
help others in need, and the books' proceeds are shared
with charities that address these problems. Just one year
into production, these books are garnering praise from parents,
educators, and are winning awards in the competitive world
of children’s publishing.
“The book was born from an idea I got three years ago while
I was reading an article about people who had started various
charitable organizations," said Green, a member of
the Alpine Utah Stake. "People like Larry Jones (who
founded Feed the Children) embraced the notion that one
person can make a difference. Their stories were inspiring
to me and I thought that inspiration might translate for
kids and get them thinking about helping others instead
of thinking only about themselves."
Green discussed the idea with his friend Wenger, and the two
men decided that with Green's background in marketing and
advertising and Wenger's experience as a composer for a
roster of Disney films, they would give it a go. "We
thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if we could do something
to raise a ton of money for charity?' "
The
Doo-its are Born
The grand plan was to create a children's entertainment company
to generate funds for charitable foundations and organizations.
Thus far, phase one consists of picture books (with art
by Disney animator Jean Gilmore) starring a cast of Muppet-like
Doo-it characters that introduce a challenge or difficulty
and, often, emphasize the mission of a particular organization
that can help.
The first story the duo came up with involves a wheelchair-bound
bird that learns to fly again after rehabilitation. "We
took it to the Christopher Reeve Foundation, and to Chris,
and they all loved it," Green said. "He [Reeve]
wanted to meet us and was very gracious and welcoming. He
eventually collaborated with us on the story," Green
added.
Reeve passed away last fall, but the book chronicling his foundation's
efforts was already well on its way. Green and Wenger fleshed
out their concept to encompass a musical component: a line
of Dewey Doo-it's Musical Storybooks, book-and-CD packages.
Chris Reeve's wife, Dana, phoned Green and insisted that
she wanted to help them finish the project that her late
husband cared so much about. "We told Dana we wanted
her to sing on the CD and she asked some of her friends
to join in," Green said. As a result, Tony-winning
actor/singer Mandy Patinkin has recorded five songs and
fellow Tony winner Bernadette Peters did four tunes to accompany
the book, in addition to Dana Reeve's song.
Dana Reeve appeared on "The Today Show" and "Good
Morning America" and sang songs from the CD. She talked
about it in articles for Parade magazine and promoted
it in book signings, along with Patinkin and Peters. As
a result, Dewey Doo-it Helps Owlie Fly Again received
national attention and aided a great cause.
Sesame
Street for the Soul
The Dewey Doo-it books have a four-fold mission:
· To help children understand that some people are facing
difficult challenges such as hunger, homelessness and physical
disabilities.
· To tell them about the great people working everyday
to solve these problems.
· To nurture in each child the qualities of selflessness,
kindness and compassion.
· To remind us all, parent and child alike, not to take
our good fortune for granted.
“We have been called Sesame Street for the soul,” says Green.
“We give parents a fun and entertaining way to help teach
their children to be kind and compassionate. Children start
thinking of helping others at a very young age. While kids
are born with the potential for empathy and generosity,
parents and teachers need help nurturing those positive
traits.
Research shows that the development of kindness and compassion
largely depends on the children’s exposure to the examples
of caring people who have dedicated their lives to helping
others. Parents can be enormously influential in helping
their kids to be concerned about others' needs. The Dewey
Doo-it books help kids learn to consider the needs of others
instead of putting their own needs first.”
Stories
that Solve Problems
Green and Wenger are building on the success of their first
book with more stories that solve social problems. The next
Doo-it adventure, titled “Dewey Doo-it Feeds a Friend,”
was created to benefit the charity Feed the Children. Alan
flew to Oklahoma and met founder Larry Jones. “I was overwhelmed
by his dedication to the hungry people of this world, and
I knew our books could help bring a new generation to an
awareness of this problem.”
“Dewey Doo-it Builds a House,” the third book in the series,
will donate a portion of its proceeds to Habitat for Humanity.
Each book includes a tribute to the charity it benefits,
giving parents and children an opportunity to discuss real
ways that people have made an impact on these pressing social
problems.
“What makes Dewey Doo-it truly unique is that each of his stories
is inspired by the work of real people; wonderful people
who help others in their times of need ― people like
Christopher Reeve who, after his debilitating accident,
dedicated his life to finding a cure for paralysis; people
like Larry Jones, who was so moved by hunger and poverty
that he founded Feed The Children; people like Millard Fuller
and President Jimmy Carter, of Habitat for Humanity who
are responsible for providing housing for more than 150,000
families in 92 countries; people like Danny Hernandez and
Arnold Schwarzenegger, founders of Inner-City Games, who
are providing safe and productive after-school activities
for kids. It's been really fun so far to work on these
projects, and we're looking forward to raising a lot of
money for these organizations."
Christmas
Book for Katrina Victims
The prestigious Lord and Taylor clothing store chain commissioned
Green and Wenger to produce a special Christmas book to
benefit Feed the Children. The book, Dewey’s Magical Sleigh,
is featured on the front page of the Christmas catalogue
and in the store windows. When Hurricane Katrina devastated
the South, Feed the Children was on the scene, and Lord
and Taylor wanted to add something to benefit the victims
of the storm. Actor John Goodman volunteered to record a
CD of the book, and so each copy of Dewey’s Magical Sleigh
comes with a reading in Goodman’s wonderful style.
click
to enlarge
The Doo-its are a family with a mission. In this
book, Dewey learns of a child who only wants food for Christmas.
“Each time a family buys one of our books, they are teaching
their children the importance of giving. At the same time,
they are actually contributing to the cause that is talked
about in the story. This is a great way to teach our children
to be doers of the word, not just hearers,” says Green.
“We receive so many comments from parents and educators
that describe the excitement kids feel when they read these
stories. They feel empowered to really make a difference
in the world.”
“As we thought about the people whose stories we wanted to
tell, we realized that one thing they all have in common
is that when they see a problem that needs to be solved,
they just DO IT. They don’t wait for someone else to work
on it. They don’t think about all the reasons they’re not
qualified to fix it. They just go forward with confidence,
face the challenges and do it. So we decided to call our
characters The Doo-its, and we hope to inspire children
to follow their example.”
More
to Do for the Doo-its
With hunger, homelessness and poverty to fight, the Doo-its
will be busy for some time. But these heart-warming characters remind
us that by small means great things can be accomplished. To learn
more about the Doo-its or to share these books with your loved ones,
log on to the website at www.DeweyDooit.com.
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© 2005
Meridian Magazine.
All Rights Reserved.
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