The Christmas shopping and decor is already hitting stores, but I’d rather call this the season for helping out a good cause. When Jen Barth at Big Small Brands asked me about creating a custom logo design for her upcoming nationwide campaign, I dove into Adobe Illustrator, and came out a few hours later with a shiny new logo for Books Make It Better.
Books Make It Better is a grassroots movement to support early literacy in communities across the U.S., and Jen is one of several moms working to gather together community partners, sponsor book drives, and get books out to young children, especially children living in poverty. They’ve partnered with Reach Out and Read, and the campaign has also been highlighted on OregonLive.com and on Parenting.com, so the movement is already well on its way.
Why is exposing kids to books at a young age so awesome? Well, as the Books Make It Better web site notes, “…reading aloud to young children is the single most effective tool for developing language, cognitive, & literacy skills. Reading aloud also builds motivation, curiosity, and memory, and creates a nurturing, one-on-one connection between parents and their children.” I was also startled to learn that 2/3rds of children living in poverty don’t have access to books at home, so a lot of kids may not even get the chance to experience the awesome power of reading.
I’m not a mother, myself, but I learned what a fantastic thing reading can be for a kid firsthand: one of my earliest memories is my dad reading aloud to me every day before bed, and I grew into a voracious reader and a self-motivated creative. I’ve always loved and gained inspiration from reading, and every kid deserves to have access to the incredible possibilities that books can offer them.
If you’re in Portland, Books Make It Better is collecting both new and used books, now through November 30th, at The Dennison Capen Group and The Laurelhurst Cafe. There are a lot of other ways to get involved, no matter where you live, so be sure to check out their web site and learn more about how you can help.
Portland logo design | Portland web site design | Upswept Creative
