Dear reader,

All of us at Shout Mouse wish you wellness during this challenging time. We stand in solidarity with folks on the frontlines of the fight for racial justice and against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. In response to calls for racial justice, we are closely examining ways in which we can be a more equitable organization-- internally and externally-- especially when it comes to supporting Black communities. 

One thing we’re sure of is that our authors’ stories are needed now more than ever. Every book in our catalog is written by authors from communities who are under threat by current political conditions and rhetoric. We are currently hearing the calls for #OwnVoices literature louder than ever -- as well as calls for tools to help spark important conversations. 

With this in mind, we have created 4 new sets of Shout Mouse titles:

• As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, we’ve created the Grief & Healing Children’s Book Set, which includes titles that explore how to cope when we’re missing someone or something we’ve lost.
  

• The Black Lives Matter YA Set includes voices of young, Black authors talking about topics that are important to them, including those at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement: elevating Black voices and stories, police brutality, and the U.S.’s broken justice system.
  

• The Centering Black Joy & Imagination Set features books with Black protagonists that explore themes of love, community, and self-expression.
  

• In our Centering Race & Justice Children’s Set, authors explore prejudice, protest, and activism through creative characters and stories.

All proceeds from book sales go directly toward future programming and/or scholarships for our authors’ communities. This is especially important support right now, as the communities we serve have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. 

Happy reading!!

—the team at Shout Mouse Press