January, 2004
For Immediate Release….

Contact: Ravay Snow-Renner
Telephone: (303) 347-2869
Email: ravay@snowboundpress.com

NEW PICTURE BOOK POPULAR WITH CHILDREN AND CREATIVE ADULTS

Have you ever felt like you’re toiling in obscurity? That your unique talents aren’t recognized? Well, you’re not alone! Hildegarde the sheep starts out in the very same situation.

"Hildegarde and the Great Green Shirt Factory," a picture book by local author and artist Ravay Snow, spins the tale of the creative Hildegarde. She works in a factory where every green shirt is supposed to be identical to every other green shirt. But she likes unique things – and thinks other sheep would like some variety, too. And her boss laughs at her. He says she’s just a ewe. Hildegarde’s solution to this problem is delighting children and adults alike. Snow’s brilliantly colored illustrations and tight prose enhance the story.

Hildegarde’s development was guided by Snow’s educational expertise and her love of reading. She is a former reading and writing teacher with a Ph.D. in education and is a recognized expert on standards and test-based education reform. “It broke my heart when I was teaching high school because most of my students hated to read. Reading was a chore for them. With the current emphasis on literacy tests, it’s likely to be even more of a chore for kids – something they have to do for the CSAP. So now, more than ever, we need good children’s stories that children will love – so they can have good experiences with reading in addition to their testing experiences. These stories also need to be challenging so that children get a strong foundation in vocabulary, decoding, and comprehension. If parents read Hildegarde with their children and explicitly teach them the vocabulary words, – it’s both enjoyable and educational!”

The response to Hildegarde has been excellent, so far, says Snow. “In two weeks, we’ve sold approximately 10% of our print run through pre-sales based on my own contacts – and using very few retail stores. The really interesting thing is that I’m seeing repeat sales – and not just for children! We had one woman buy a copy, read it, and come back for another copy – for her daughter, who’s in her thirties. So it seems to speak to adults as well as children. I compare it with ‘Finding Nemo!’ Kids loved it, but there was plenty of material for the parents to enjoy, too!”

Snow and her brother, Jeff Snow, founded Snowbound Press, the Littleton-based publisher of Hildegarde, in 2002. They are initially publishing their own stories, and plan to branch out eventually to publish other writers and artists. Jeff Snow is a DreamWorks artist and the Hollywood connection is key to the company’s marketing plans. Says Ravay Snow, “You will probably see a Hildegarde animated feature in the future! Several producers are reviewing it now!”
Hildegarde and the Great Green Shirt Factory is available at selected stores in the Front Range and Los Angeles. In Colorado, the Boulder Bookstore, the Tattered Cover, the Bookies, Grandma’s Trunk in Littleton, Once Again Books in Nederland, and Polly Chandler’s Bookstore in Georgetown all have the title in stock. Copies are also available at amazon.com and directly from the publisher at www.snowboundpress.com.

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