Partner - Barefoot Books

Barefoot Books was founded in the U.K. in 1993 by two working mothers, Nancy Traversy and Tessa Strickland. The company was born out of the women’s shared desire to create imaginatively written and beautifully illustrated children's books that would capture the diversity and richness of the world's many traditions in a playful and accessible way. For several years, Nancy and Tessa ran Barefoot Books from their homes, allowing them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams while being close to their children.

Now celebrating its fifteenth year in business, Barefoot has out grown its small-scale beginnings, yet it retains its grassroots philosophy. They have a vibrant, global community of independent distributors called Barefoot Stallholders who are doing just what Nancy and Tessa set out do: working from home around their families, connecting with their local communities and inviting others to 'live Barefoot'. The community of Stallholders is central to Barefoot's work as they love to work with people who embrace their vision.

Highlights for Barefoot in 2008 include the launch of their Young Fiction list with Guo Yue and Clare Farrow's LITTLE LEAP FORWARD - an account of Yue's childhood in Beijing in the summer of 1966. Barefoot are also launching the Barefoot Young Storyteller of the Year Competition, open to all children aged 14 and under. The competition encourages teachers and literacy co-ordinators to meet the government's 'five hours of culture' requirement by helping pupils prepare and deliver individual storytelling performances.

The Barefoot stallholders are getting creative with the competition and are being encouraged to host their own children's storytelling parties over the summer holidays - as well as working with schools, drama groups and other arts organisation to run local storytelling competitions. Many Barefoot Stallholders are also storytellers, and are happy to entertain groups of children with storytelling and book-related actvities!

You can contact a local Barefoot Stallholder for your event here at Stallfinder.com. To find out more about becoming a Stallholder, ask your local Stallholder or visit www.barefootbooks.com.