Learning to read doesn’t have to be hijacked by cheesy kid’s cartooning and boring storylines any longer. You need not fear that you’ll lose interest as a mere witness to the typical, cut-and-dry “learn to read” literature that bombards us parents. You can also enjoy the process with your tike, thanks to a really innovative, environmentally-conscious, and artistic company called Home Grown Books. We first noticed them a year ago, and have decided to bring their efforts to everyone’s attention, as they are currently releasing two more board books this month. There’s also a really fun blog you should check out, featuring great Brooklyn artists and lots more. Here’s a Q& A with Kyla Ryman, the Founder.
Tell us about what inspired Home Grown Books?
As a reading specialist in New York I was inspired by my years of teaching and noticed the lack of engaging reading material that existed specifically to help children learn how to read. The idea behind Home Grown Books came from this pressing need for children to have interesting books that are also beautifully and thoughtfully made to begin their reading journey. At the time a colleague of mine, who is a teacher and artist, began creating readers by hand for her students that were both inspirational and effective. We knew kids worldwide could benefit from reading them, so we started Home Grown Books and these books became the first pack of books in our Little Readers Series – The Play Pack!
Some of their board books:
from “Night Light”
from “A Place to Live”
from “Dress Up”
from “Air”
How many books have you published so far, and how many are currently in the works?
So far Home Grown Books has published four beginning reader book packs, each consisting of 7-9 books, with a total of 31 books in all. We have also published 6 board books, and are currently working on releasing 2 more board books in August 2016. All of our books are created specifically to help encourage and interest kids who are just learning to read while exposing them to engaging artwork.
How many artists have collaborated with HGB to create the books?
Home Grown Books consists of three series of books so far, with each series containing a special set of artists. We started in 2012 with 4 incredible artists that work with interesting and diverse mediums, such as papercut images, watercolors, and oil paints. These artists created the books that make up our Little Reader Series and our Toddler Series. In 2015, we began working with 3 more amazing artists that have contributed to our Mini Museum Series, which contains board books that feature art from contemporary artists whose work is in museum collections around the world.
What does the future hold for HGB?
We are so incredibly excited – Home Grown Books has just joined Publishers Group West! This means we will be able to reach a wider international audience and will spend even more time focusing on developing exciting content for young readers. We’re dedicated to creating beautifully and mindfully crafted books for kids who deserve reading material as rich as their imaginations and are excited to be introducing contemporary art in an age-appropriate format that inspires both children and parents.
What environmental standards does the company employ?
For us, operating locally and printing in an eco-friendly way is core to our mission. We work with printers that use recycled materials and no VOC vegetable ink on all of our books that are then printed using power from local wind farms. There are so many children’s books about being green, printed on conventional paper and imported from China- which is fine, but we make a conscious decision to have our books thoughtfully made with as little damage to the environment as possible. We choose to do everything locally and eco-friendly so that every kid who holds one of our books will be holding something we’re proud of publishing.
When was it created, and how many people stand behind the company now?
In September of 2009 I sat around my dining room table with a small group of teachers who I had taught with in a homeschool collective in Brooklyn. We all agreed on the desperate need for rich and engaging reading material that as teachers we knew would help students. The idea took off from there, and has reached so many teachers and parents that saw the same need for exciting new reading material that we had. Currently Home Grown Books has a full-time staff of 3 people, including myself. We also have numerous individuals freelancing and providing assistance as needed to make publishing these books possible!
Here are some amazing examples of what’s in their Mini Museum series:
Kyla Ryman, Founder:
During her work within homeschool collectives as a reading specialist, Kyla saw a need for creative and compelling reading content for children. In 2012, she founded Home Grown Books to develop resources that empowered parents and inspired little readers. Kyla is a mother of two boys and an advocate of organic learning for children. She embraces thinking, playing, and creating as the building blocks for learning. Kyla has a Masters in Early Childhood Education and a Reading Specialty from Bank Street College. She taught for 12 years in the public school system, tutored, and worked with a homeschool collective.
Jessica Brown, Creative Director:
Jessica’s interest in creating began as soon as she could hold a crayon and started drawing on every surface she could find: walls, books, floors, furniture, other people’s paintings, and, occasionally, paper. She is a firm believe in the power and necessity of creativity in learning, both inside and outside of the classroom. Jessica is a graduate of Florida State University’s Fine Arts program, and worked as an art educator in museums and non-profit organizations for 6 years before joining Home Grown Books.