Marlo Thomas and Friends' Award-winning FREE TO BE ... YOU AND ME Gets a Fresh New Design, Inspiring a Whole New Generation of Young Readers

Marlo Thomas and Friends' Award-winning FREE TO BE ... YOU AND ME Gets a Fresh New Design, Inspiring a Whole New Generation of Young Readers

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirty-five years ago actress, producer, author and social activist Marlo Thomas, and her celebrated team of co-creators made history with the release of a children's book that would captivate the hearts and imaginations of young readers around the world. FREE TO BE ... YOU AND ME, an explosively creative collection of stories, songs and poems, became an instant bestseller, inspiring children, parents and teachers everywhere to feel the joy of being their own unique selves.

Marlo and her friends -- as well as some new faces -- are back with an updated edition of this beloved book, which continues to celebrate human diversity; dispel stereotypes and myths about gender, class and race; and challenge societal expectations that often inhibit kids' freedoms to be who they want to be. Blessed with stories by such literary luminaries as Shel Silverstein and Betty Miles, and winning poems and songs, such as Carol Hall's "It's All Right to Cry," FREE TO BE ... YOU AND ME remains both entertaining and thought-provoking -- a timeless valentine to individuality, friendship, teamwork, dignity, mutual respect, and love.

All of the material from the original book appears in this new edition, including the brilliant musings of the late Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and an introduction from women's rights pioneer Gloria Steinem. But the look is entirely different -- with vibrant, new art, selected by the original creators themselves, that speaks in the visual language of today's children. As Marlo points out to readers in her new foreword, "It was time to make the book look a little more like the world you live in today." As an added bonus, the book also includes a CD sampler, featuring songs from the original album, so kids and grown-ups can sing along with their favorites.

FREE TO BE ... YOU AND ME was Marlo's first book, and the beginning of what would become an amazing publishing streak that would include four books reaching the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller list. Other bestsellers include Free to Be ... a Family, The Right Words at the Right Time series, a two-volume collection of personal essays about the power of words, and the delightful children's anthology, Thanks and Giving: All Year Long. In addition to her publishing success, Marlo has won four Emmys, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, the George Foster Peabody Award, and induction into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Whether opening FREE TO BE ... YOU AND ME for the first or one-hundredth time, readers everywhere will be engaged and transformed by this beautifully (and newly!) illustrated edition of a classic anthology -- one that will continue to delight and inspire for generations to come.

All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Free to Be Foundation (http://www.freetobefoundation.org/), a subsidiary of the Ms. Foundation for Women, which benefits children and families. FREE TO BE ... YOU AND ME is available NOW where books are sold.

Contact:

Seta Zink, Running Press, 215-567-5371, seta.zink@perseusbooks.com

Source: Running Press

CONTACT: Seta Zink, Running Press, +1-215-567-5371,
seta.zink@perseusbooks.com

Web site: http://www.freetobefoundation.org/
http://www.runningpress.com/

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