For Local Blog in MinneapolisLeap into books! Bur Bur and Friends™ children’s book series reviewed in “Colors Northwest” Magazine
March 5th, 2008February, 2008
Welcome to the world of Bur Bur. In this award-winning new children’s book series “Bur Bur & Friends,” young readers wander through a potpourri of adventurous outdoor activities with either Bur Bur and his family or Bur Bur’s multihued friends and their families. The books offer an earnest look at biracial families from a child’s point of view: In “Bur Bur’s Fishing Adventure,” young Bur Bur sets out on a fishing excursion with his daddy, who is Caucasian. Near the end of the tale, father and son deliver their hard-earned prize to Bur Bur’s African-American mom, and the sweet family delights in the day’s catch.
In early 2007, Farmer’s Hat Productions – a Minnesota-based publishing company – released the multicultural young-reader series with three books, all featuring Bur Bur: “Bur Bur’s Fishing Adventure,” “Bur Bur’s Boating ABC’s” and “Bur Bur Throws out the First Pitch.” Last November, another “friend,” Anna, and another book, “Anna Goes Hiking,” were added to the collection.
Farmer’s Hat Productions was born out of a need experienced by two mothers of young biracial boys. Former stockbroker-turned-stay-at-home mom JoAnne Pastel and friend Kakie Fitzsimmons were “unable to find books that encouraged children of all ethnicities to participate in an active lifestyle.”
Curly-haired Bur Bur is the result, and the books exude warmth and real personality. Modeled after Pastel’s son who is nicknamed “Bur Bur,” the series’ characters are reminiscent of the type of kids you’d find on the playground of many inner-city schools. In terms of race and ethnicity, Bur Bur’s friends represent the changing face of “diversity” in our communities. However, the traditional construction of Bur Bur’s parents (and Anna’s, too), models the “nuclear family” ideal, with one mommy and one daddy; thus, they are less representative of the many diverse forms of families children know today. Perhaps that topic will be explored in a future book, and with a future friend.
Pastel and Fitzsimmons are in the process of expanding their line to include other products such as toys, music and software, all featuring Bur Bur’s diverse friends who cheerfully promote self-esteem and healthy eating habits through recreation and outdoor exploration.
The hardcover, fully illustrated books retail for $14.95 each and can be purchased through the company website: www.burburandfriends.com. -CAROLYN J. WRIGHT
To view the full article, please click here.
Seed Newsvine
Submitted to the February Carnival of Children’s Literature
