Hello All,
I am writing to each and every one of you with regards to a new children's book now available to elementary schools across the world. In addition, we would like to provide an exciting fundraising opportunity for you.
Before I continue, I would like to encourage you to check out our website, www.nofishinmydish.com if you haven't done so already. As you will see, No Fish In My Dish is the only children's book that addresses the overfishing pandemic. In the last 50 years, 90 percent of ocean fish have disappeared. The continuing decline is an environmental catastrophe with startling evidence. For example, on September 19th, the European Commission placed a complete ban on Bluefin Tuna fishing in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean for the rest of the year. The move was taken to curb overfishing and protect dwindling stocks of fish after the EU reached its 2007 quota more than three months early, and scientists say the quota was twice as much as it should have been in the first place.
No Fish In My Dish offers a simple solution that anybody can understand: "For five days a week, say 'No Fish In My Dish'". The book does not ask people to boycott fish, just to eat fewer fish. The phrase "fewer fish bought means fewer fish caught" captures the spirit of the book. In rhyming words and watercolor illustrations, the book shows a way that kids and families can help stop overfishing.
Fen Montaigne, author of National Geographic magazine’s "Still Waters: The Global Fish Crisis" wrote:
"Magically illustrated and lyrically written, No Fish in My Dish takes a tough look at one of the 21st century’s most important environmental challenges, but does so in a moving, uplifting way that will delight and inspire children."
At Loma Verde Elementary School, in El Paso, Texas, Jason visited each classroom to speak to children and teachers about No Fish In My Dish and show what they can do to make a change. Several teachers told Jason how useful they found the book to be in their classrooms. Some are using No Fish In My Dish to teach the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Some of the TEKS subjects covered by the book are:
Cultural Studies
Geography
Ecology
Government
Economics
Social Studies
Based on the feedback given to us, we have developed our "1K, One Week" strategy that seeks to sell 1,000 books in a single week. Our experience during Jason's one-month publicity tour covering Sacramento, New York, El Paso, and Los Angeles showed that schools are the best way to spread the word about overfishing. No Fish In My Dish is a children's book. Schools are where to find children.What's more, teachers spend time getting to know the subject in depth, and they devise projects to help teach children about the issue. Jason spent September traveling across America speaking to audiences at aquariums, schools, and zoos. In the course of that tour, we discovered that teachers are even better than people at zoos and aquariums at:
· Digging into the subject and pulling out the key points to be made
· Coming up with creative, engaging ways to make those points
· Creating excitement around the book and, therefore, interest in the subject
At Jason's events in El Paso, teachers from schools other than Loma Verde approached us asking when their school would be next. Another local elementary school, Myrtle Cooper, even put together a last-minute assembly after school that attracted 61 students and parents. Unfortunately, because Jason lives in Japan and is paying all printing and travel expenses himself, we were not in a position to visit every elementary school across America and the rest of the world, despite our desire to do so. Our goal, however, is to visit many elementary schools across the world in a campaign spanning years. We started in El Paso, Texas and would like to continue until Jason has visited every elementary school, world wide. This is a global problem and we have a global message.
Based on the feedback and reactions of teachers, students, and parents, Jason and I have created our "1K, One Week" plan. It works as follows:
· Schools must pre-order a minimum of 1,000 books (no min on hats or shirts)
· The 1,000 can be divided between a maximum of five schools
· Once pre-order sales reach 1,000 books, Jason will fly from Japan to visit schools (this amount of sales are needed to cover the costs for Jason's airfare, lodging, and rental car expenses)
· In return for the sales, Jason will visit the schools and provide wonderful readings and presentations just as he did at Loma Verde and Myrtle Cooper.
School visits will be structured as follows:
1. Three assemblies during the day
1. Pre-K/K-2
2. 3-4
3. 5-6
2. One large presentation in the evening to include parents and families
3. Books, hats, and shirts sold at the evening presentation
4. Children will wear their hats and shirts and bring their books to read along
Jason will do this for a maximum of five days, with one school per day. A $1 donation per book/hat/shirts will be given back to schools for each book/hat/shirt sold. Also, each school will receive a teacher's resource kit to copy and distribute.
You can find more information about our visits to Loma Verde and Myrtle Cooper Elementary Schools on our website at www.nofishinmydish.com.
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