Just Doo-it: Children’s Books to Change the World
By Marilyn Green Faulkner
At the holidays we feel a greater desire to reach out to those in need, and Alan Green, children’s book author and member of the Church, is providing a creative new way to do it ? with the help of some loveable characters called (appropriately) the Doo-its.
Alan and his partner, Bram Wenger, have created a series of children’s books that deal with such problems as poverty, homelessness and hunger. Each story inspires children to help others in need, and the books’ proceeds are shared with charities that address these problems. Just one year into production, these books are garnering praise from parents, educators, and are winning awards in the competitive world of children’s publishing.
“The book was born from an idea I got three years ago while I was reading an article about people who had started various charitable organizations,” said Green, a member of the Alpine Utah Stake. “People like Larry Jones (who founded Feed the Children) embraced the notion that one person can make a difference. Their stories were inspiring to me and I thought that inspiration might translate for kids and get them thinking about helping others instead of thinking only about themselves.”
Green discussed the idea with his friend Wenger, and the two men decided that with Green’s background in marketing and advertising and Wenger’s experience as a composer for a roster of Disney films, they would give it a go. “We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could do something to raise a ton of money for charity?’ “
The Doo-its are Born
The grand plan was to create a children’s entertainment company to generate funds for charitable foundations and organizations. Thus far, phase one consists of picture books (with art by Disney animator Jean Gilmore) starring a cast of Muppet-like Doo-it characters that introduce a challenge or difficulty and, often, emphasize the mission of a particular organization that can help.
The first story the duo came up with involves a wheelchair-bound bird that learns to fly again after rehabilitation. “We took it to the Christopher Reeve Foundation, and to Chris, and they all loved it,” Green said. “He [Reeve] wanted to meet us and was very gracious and welcoming. He eventually collaborated with us on the story,” Green added.
Reeve passed away last fall, but the book chronicling his foundation’s efforts was already well on its way. Green and Wenger fleshed out their concept to encompass a musical component: a line of Dewey Doo-it’s Musical Storybooks, book-and-CD packages. Chris Reeve’s wife, Dana, phoned Green and insisted that she wanted to help them finish the project that her late husband cared so much about. “We told Dana we wanted her to sing on the CD and she asked some of her friends to join in,” Green said. As a result, Tony-winning actor/singer Mandy Patinkin has recorded five songs and fellow Tony winner Bernadette Peters did four tunes to accompany the book, in addition to Dana Reeve’s song.
Dana Reeve appeared on “The Today Show” and “Good Morning America” and sang songs from the CD. She talked about it in articles for Parade magazine and promoted it in book signings, along with Patinkin and Peters. As a result, Dewey Doo-it Helps Owlie Fly Again received national attention and aided a great cause.
Sesame Street for the Soul
The Dewey Doo-it books have a four-fold mission:
To help children understand that some people are facing difficult challenges such as hunger, homelessness and physical disabilities.
To tell them about the great people working everyday to solve these problems.
To nurture in each child the qualities of selflessness, kindness and compassion.
To remind us all, parent and child alike, not to take our good fortune for granted.
“We have been called Sesame Street for the soul,” says Green. “We give parents a fun and entertaining way to help teach their children to be kind and compassionate. Children start thinking of helping others at a very young age. While kids are born with the potential for empathy and generosity, parents and teachers need help nurturing those positive traits.
Research shows that the development of kindness and compassion largely depends on the children’s exposure to the examples of caring people who have dedicated their lives to helping others. Parents can be enormously influential in helping their kids to be concerned about others’ needs. The Dewey Doo-it books help kids learn to consider the needs of others instead of putting their own needs first.”
Stories that Solve Problems
Green and Wenger are building on the success of their first book with more stories that solve social problems. The next Doo-it adventure, titled “Dewey Doo-it Feeds a Friend,” was created to benefit the charity Feed the Children. Alan flew to Oklahoma and met founder Larry Jones. “I was overwhelmed by his dedication to the hungry people of this world, and I knew our books could help bring a new generation to an awareness of this problem.”
“Dewey Doo-it Builds a House,” the third book in the series, will donate a portion of its proceeds to Habitat for Humanity. Each book includes a tribute to the charity it benefits, giving parents and children an opportunity to discuss real ways that people have made an impact on these pressing social problems.
“What makes Dewey Doo-it truly unique is that each of his stories is inspired by the work of real people; wonderful people who help others in their times of need ? people like Christopher Reeve who, after his debilitating accident, dedicated his life to finding a cure for paralysis; people like Larry Jones, who was so moved by hunger and poverty that he founded Feed The Children; people like Millard Fuller and President Jimmy Carter, of Habitat for Humanity who are responsible for providing housing for more than 150,000 families in 92 countries; people like Danny Hernandez and Arnold Schwarzenegger, founders of Inner-City Games, who are providing safe and productive after-school activities for kids. It’s been really fun so far to work on these projects, and we’re looking forward to raising a lot of money for these organizations.”
Christmas Book for Katrina Victims
The prestigious Lord and Taylor clothing store chain commissioned Green and Wenger to produce a special Christmas book to benefit Feed the Children. The book, Dewey’s Magical Sleigh, is featured on the front page of the Christmas catalogue and in the store windows. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the South, Feed the Children was on the scene, and Lord and Taylor wanted to add something to benefit the victims of the storm. Actor John Goodman volunteered to record a CD of the book, and so each copy of Dewey’s Magical Sleigh comes with a reading in Goodman’s wonderful style.
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The Doo-its are a family with a mission. In this book, Dewey learns of a child who only wants food for Christmas.
“Each time a family buys one of our books, they are teaching their children the importance of giving. At the same time, they are actually contributing to the cause that is talked about in the story. This is a great way to teach our children to be doers of the word, not just hearers,” says Green. “We receive so many comments from parents and educators that describe the excitement kids feel when they read these stories. They feel empowered to really make a difference in the world.”
“As we thought about the people whose stories we wanted to tell, we realized that one thing they all have in common is that when they see a problem that needs to be solved, they just DO IT. They don’t wait for someone else to work on it. They don’t think about all the reasons they’re not qualified to fix it. They just go forward with confidence, face the challenges and do it. So we decided to call our characters The Doo-its, and we hope to inspire children to follow their example.”
More to Do for the Doo-its
With hunger, homelessness and poverty to fight, the Doo-its will be busy for some time. But these heart-warming characters remind us that by small means great things can be accomplished. To learn more about the Doo-its or to share these books with your loved ones, log on to the website at www.DeweyDooit.com.
2005 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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