arts & life
PJ LIBRARY
b ooks
Celebrate
With Shmulik
A local author helps
kids commemorate
Yom HaAtzmaut.
Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer
A
rose by any other
name might smell as
sweet — but some
names might not be as easy
to pronounce and remember,
especially for children.
That’s what a Farmington
Hills author thought about as
her children’s books gained the
attention of publishers. She
decided to use her first and
middle names, Lisa Rose, as
pen name while restricting her
maiden name (Granitz) and
married name (Chottiner) for
personal purposes apart from
public attention.
“My pen name is the way I’m
known on my author website
[lisarosewrites.me] and on
social media,” says the author,
42, who is about to launch
Shmulik Paints the Town (Kar-
Ben Publishing; $7.99), her
first picture book in print.
The book, to be introduced
on the afternoon of Sunday,
March 13, at the Jewish
Community Center, celebrates
Israeli Independence Day
(Yom HaAtzmaut, which falls
this year on May 11), which
commemorates the Israeli
Lisa Rose
details
Lisa Rose will launch her new
book 1-3 p.m. Sunday,
March 13, at Shalom Street in
the Jewish Community Center
in West Bloomfield.
Lisarosewrites.me.
Declaration of Independence
in 1948.
The story introduces a
procrastinating painter who
is asked to decorate for the
holiday, celebrated with family
picnics and barbecues. He is
accompanied by his dog, who
ultimately takes charge of the
requested responsibilities.
After Rose reads to the
group, children will get into
the creative spirit by painting
benches to remain at Shalom
Street, where the launch will
be held and where kids are
encouraged to participate in
special activities.
“In the book, a dog gets to
paint; at our launch party, there
will be the chance for kids to
experience painting,” she says.
Rose has written two
ebooks, Oh No, The Tooth Fairy
Broke Her Wing! and Oh No!
The Easter Bunny Is Allergic
to Eggs!, both published on
MeeGenius, a division of
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
“I try to think of funny
things and write quirky,”
explains Rose, who has taught
early childhood education in
Pontiac and Highland Park,
where her students often were
homeless.
“I worked on the new book
for years before it became a
Jewish story. I found out that
there wasn’t a story about
Israeli Independence Day, and
I decided there needed to be. It
was a holiday that I didn’t even
know much about, and it fit
well into what I was doing.”
The link to the Jewish
holiday happened after sug-
gestions during meetings with
local members of the Society
of Children’s Book Writers and
Illustrators. The manuscript
had been dormant a while until
she was prompted to tie it to
the calendar.
Rose, interested in writ-
ing since second grade and
while growing up in West
Bloomfield, fulfilled another
and more practical interest
by becoming a teacher. She
earned her bachelor’s degree in
education at the University of
Michigan and her master’s in
reading at Oakland University.
The author and husband,
Jeff, an engineer, have an
8-year-old daughter, Victoria
Rose. As a family, they partici-
pate in the Friendship Circle,
supplementing Victoria’s par-
ticipation in activities at the
Jewish Community Center.
“I really feel good about
knowing what will appeal to
children,” says Rose, who had
her bat mitzvah at Temple Kol
Ami and looks forward to cel-
ebrating the 30th anniversary
of that event.
“The picture-book ages are
the ages I taught. My older
work has African-American
characters in an urban setting,
so I am very diverse in my
writing.”
The original idea for the
Shmulik book came about from
a cousin who develops paint-
ings around paw prints submit-
ted by pet owners. The idea is
to provide important artistic
keepsakes.
“The moral of the Shmulik
story is perseverance,” Rose
says.
Barely a month after the
book was published, Rose has
been honored by being chosen
as a PJ Library author. A pro-
gram of the Harold Grinspoon
Foundation, PJ Library every
month sends free Jewish chil-
dren’s books to families across
the world with the goal of shar-
ing Jewish stories that can help
families talk together about
values, traditions and culture.
PJ Library is made possible
through partnerships with phi-
lanthropists and Jewish orga-
nizations to serve families with
youngsters from 6 months to
8 years old, bringing Judaism
into their lives regardless of
Jewish background, knowledge
or observance.
“This is the first time there
has been a PJ Library author
from the Detroit area,” Rose
says. “It’s a celebration for the
community that someone who
has been here for more than
40 years wrote a book being
shared with the community.”
Rose has lots more to share
as she develops other works,
including a middle-grades
novel with a graffiti artist and
a digital media project with
the producer of Eminem’s
Eight Mile.
“I like to swim, practice yoga
and eat ice cream,” Rose says. “I
love teaching, but I stopped to
live my dream.”
*
A s
Shmulik Paints the Town joins the
children’s books distributed around
the world as part of a free program offered
by PJ Library, local Jewish families with
young children are reminded of the read-
ing and music opportunities available to
them.
Signing up for PJ Library means a young
child can receive a free book every month
except December, when music will arrive
— each delivery chosen to explore a
Jewish theme.
The program, developed in 2005 by
Harold Grinspoon as part of the Harold
Grinspoon Foundation, is operated out of
Massachusetts and reaches 430,000 recipi-
ents globally.
“There is a Book Selection Committee
[of educators and librarians] that chooses
from books already found interesting
and contacts made with publishers and
authors,” explains Meredith Lewis, director
of content and engagement.
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit is an implementing partner for PJ
Library. Gail Greenberg is the key contact
person.
“Books are designed for children up
to age 8,” Lewis explains. “The Federation
connects PJ Library to local events open to
subscribers and nonsubscribers.”
PJ (for pajamas with the goal of read-
ing becoming part of a bedtime routine)
Library was inspired in part by Dolly
Parton’s Imagination Library, which
provides free books to children. It also
was inspired by personal experiences
Grinspoon had as he observed adults
reading to children.
To measure the program’s impact, PJ
Library commissioned a 2013 survey of
American families raising Jewish chil-
dren. Among the findings, 57 percent of
families reported that PJ Library has made
them more aware of Jewish holiday and
lifecycle events. Seventy-five percent said
the materials have increased discussion of
Jewish-related concepts and values.
Grinspoon, who earned his wealth in
real-estate development and supports
other programs including Jewish over-
night camp, told the Boston Globe why he
settles on certain philanthropic initiatives:
“It’s simple,” he says. “Return on invest-
ment.”
To sign up for the program, go to
pjlibrary.org. For local information, contact
Gail Greenberg by emailing greenberg@
jfmd or calling (248) 205-2536.
*
March 3 • 2016
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