June 30, 2004
For immediate release
Contact: Ravay Snow-Renner
Telephone: (303) 347-2869
Email: ravay@snowboundpress.com

BOOK BY FIRST-TIME CHILDREN’S AUTHOR/ARTIST RAKES IN AWARDS

Hildegarde and the Great Green Shirt Factory, a children’s story about a sheep who bucks the assembly-line system to create her own fashions, is getting real-life recognition around the country. The colorful picture book, Snowbound Press’ debut offering by Colorado author/illustrator/publisher Ravay Snow, earned two prestigious awards in June. It was selected as Best Children’s Picture Book of 2004 by the Colorado Independent Publishers’ Association and was announced as a Benjamin Franklin finalist for Best First Children’s Book.

Hildegarde and the Great Green Shirt Factory spins the tale of a sheep whose creativity is frustrated in her job at a factory where every green shirt is supposed to be identical to every other green shirt. Reviewers have called the title “mind-bending,” “amazing,” “wacky,” and “subversive.” In addition to the Colorado award and the Benjamin Franklin award, the book won first prize in the Writer’s Notes magazine contest for children’s books in 2004.

Snow is happy about the title’s success. “It’s exciting that other publishers and editors have recognized and rewarded the book’s quality. But it’s even better that young people love it – and that they’re getting excited about reading because of it!” Snow, a former writing teacher with a Ph.D. in education, spent a decade working on education policy before starting her own publishing company with her brother, a DreamWorks story artist. Their goal? To create beautiful, well-written picture books for young people.

The Benjamin Franklin Awards are among the most prestigious of small press awards, indicating excellence in overall editorial and design as judged by book industry professionals, including acquisition librarians, bookstore buyers, wholesalers, reviewers, editors, designers, and artists. More than 1600 titles were entered for consideration in the 2004 Benjamin Franklin Awards.

The title is available at bookstores everywhere through Quality Books, Inc. and Baker and Taylor and to the public directly at www.snowboundpress.com and amazon.com. For more information, including reviews, press releases and future projects, please access www.snowboundpress.com.

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