Hello everyone, and I have a surprise announcement to make! I am officially a freelance illustrator at Worldreader, a global nonprofit organization working with partners to get children reading at least 25 books a year with understanding! Below is a screenshot of their home page and their mission statement:
We are an international nonprofit organization working with partners to get children reading at least 25 books a year with understanding, because readers grow up to have better educational outcomes, higher earning potential, and emotional intelligence. Since 2010, Worldreader has supported more than 21 million readers in over 100 countries. We achieve impact with our BookSmart digital reading solution, which improves comprehension, digital literacy and emotional literacy skills for children ages 3-12 years old. BookSmart includes thousands of books in multiple languages; anytime, anywhere access on any device; reader engagement in the form of motivational messaging, challenges, and rewards to keep children reading; and data to help track progress.
A couple months ago, Worldreader contacted me regarding revising the illustrations for a children's poem by Rebecca Fenton titled "That Stinks!". I was responsible for reviewing the existing illustrations and making slight revisions while keeping the whimsical and 'child-like' style. The end result was a book released on BookSmart that I hear is being well received by Worldreader's readers, getting an above average like rate compared to the other books on their platform, which is great to see. Below is a screenshot of BookSmart's main page, the cover to the book and its synopsis:
Woah, what's that smell? In this book we've collected some of our best and worst stinks to make you grimace and giggle… though you might have to hold your nose at the same time! From skunks to smelly armpits, you'll find loads of gross and grizzly stenches to stir your senses here. And maybe you can think of a list of your own to add, too!
On top of this, I've updated the website's Artwork page to include a link to the book's page on BookSmart, which you can also check out here. Will you check it out and giggle? Or are you already grimacing? Even if you are, I'm currently working on another project with Worldreader, though it's still in the early stages of development. So, be sure to stick around for future updates as we enter what looks to be an exciting new era for Naimoli Universe!
Until then, stay enlightened, educated and entertained by all the smells, folks.