If you have been following my blog you will know I travelled to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in July/August last year 2011. See my post here https://thepatientdreamer.com/2011/08/20/the-children-of-laos/ While I bargained for gift items and enjoyed the quiet, simple life of a small village, I noticed there were no books to be found. Only when I was leaving did I manage to buy a children’s book at the airport in Luang Prabang. On my flight home I discovered in the back of the book there was a small publishing group trying to put books into the hands of children living in remote jungle areas, who would otherwise never see or own one. See here my interview with Sasha the founder of “Big Brother Mouse,”
https://thepatientdreamer.com/2011/12/24/books-for-children-thanks-to-big-brother-mouse/
Yesterday I received a lovely email from Siphone (one of Sasha’s staff) along with photos of the children who enjoyed my Picture Book Party that my contribution had helped. Looking at the children engrossed in the wonder of opening up a book for some of them it is the first time ever, it brought such a warm feeling and I am so happy I could have helped in some small way.
I thought I would share with you my email and a few of the photos that were sent to me….….
Dear Diane,
We recently held a book party, and set up a book swap (what we call a mini-library), using the donation you made to Big Brother Mouse.
Date: Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Village: Ban Simoungkhoun,
Here are a few pictures from that day. On our website, as you probably know, there’s a fuller description of what we do at each of these events.
At the end of the party all the kids got a free book of their own, nearly always the first book they’ve ever owned. Then we left more books with the school, so they can trade their book for a different one after they’ve read it. We left a total of 205 books.
It was an exciting day for all of the children, and we expect many of them will always remember it — both because they had fun, and for the magic of opening a fun book for the first time, and discovering the new world that opens up. Thank you for making this possible!
We’re putting pictures from this event on our website, in our new Photo Album section, at:
www.bigbrothermouse.com/photoalbum/111220simoungkho.html
My hope is that maybe somehow we can help put more books into the hands of these children, and I also hope that one day I can return with an armful of my own picture book to hand out to them. What a joy that will be!
Writer and Dreamer at work 
Thank you so much for sharing this with us! What a wonderful gift for you to see the fruits of your efforts 🙂
Thankyou Suzie. I was asked if I would share what happened and I was so delighted to see what they were doing there. I had to post this.
I want to “LIKE” this post!
Sorry! I know I took it off when I started this blog but now I can’t find it to put it back…LOL. Anyway glad you like this post!
Have it back on again now.
That’s wonderful, Diane. Those pictures say it all.
Don’t they! They are such cute kids, I am so glad I could help them. Thanks Catherine.
Wow!!!!
Lol! thankyou Mona, hope you like the links and checking out Big Brother Mouse’s blog.
Congrats on making a difference! Books are so important. “Like!”
Thankyou Debbie, Yes Books certainly make a difference. Some of the older kids back when Big Brother Mouse first started out, are now learning the art of publishing and writing their own books…. isn’t that terrific?
I was just happy to be of help!
That’s wonderful – 205 books! Very nice. I will check out their blog too.
Did you mention this organization when Julie (12×12) asked about a literacy organization/fund to donate to on FB? I have never heard of this before.
Yes I did post a comment about it on the 12×12 FB page but heard nothing. It would be wonderful to do this and whats more, Sasha from Big Brother Mouse, would ensure we received information about where we were making a difference over there, which is good.
Cool, Thanks Stacy! I’m sure you will find it very interesting.
How absolutely wonderful, Diane! No child should be without books!
Thankyou Susanna! Let’s hope we can ensure all children have the chance to enjoy a good story. So happy you enjoyed this post.
Hi Diane…it’s Vivian from Positive Parental Participation.
Thanks for stopping by my blog for Perfect Picture Book Friday. I’m thrilled to be part of Susannah’s circle.
That said, how do I hop aboard this amazing mission! I know there are many worthwhile organizations during great work with kids…this one sounds fantastic! And how beautiful that you were able to be a part of it. I guess I will have to subscrbe to your posts so I don’t miss the one in February you want me to see. 🙂 🙂 From what I’ve seen so far of your blog, it will be MY pleasure. 🙂
Thankyou Vivian for your kind words. Hopefully you have been able to access the links I provided in this post for you to read my earlier posts. You can click on….. http://www.bigbrothermouse.com/index.html … to read their website and find out more. (I would love it, if a writers group could help collectively).
Yes, you might find my guest post of some interest. Thankyou again for your kind words and I am so pleased to “meet” you.
What a lovely thing to do. Thanks for stopping by my blog and I’m glad I discovered yours! Sorry for my somewhat misleading blog title. 🙂
Hi, glad you found your way here, “Australia”. I hope you will stick around and take a wander. Thankyou for your kind words, and no worries, I have been to NYC twice and loved it.
This is so very cool!
Thankyou Erik, isn’t it wonderful that they even sent photos of the kids reading the books.
Diane,
Sorry I didn’t respsond to your post sooner, as I’ve been waiting for your party report and photos. You must be very pleased with the results. The looks on the kids faces say it all! I like that they leave books for the school, and make it possible for the kids to trade in their book for another book. It’s so hard to imagine that so many children in Laos have never owned or held a book. You are so generous and compassionate. I know you will visit Laos again — you are fortunate to have friends there. Such a good thing Big Brother Mouse is doing. I hope as a group we do something.
That’s Okay Pat. Oh yes I am soooooooo thrilled to have received news and photos. Don’t the kids look so excited to have books of their own. Sasha says that sometimes the kids don’t want to be parted from the first book they get, and they have to explain what a “library” is. It’s heartening to actually hear and see the work that Big Brother Mouse is doing, and I hope we can do something…… even with, say, something like Julie’s 12×12… with $2.. a draft, it would work out at 2 or more Book Partys for the kids. Would’nt that be cool.
This is wonderful and I so enjoyed seeing all the photos too. I mentioned Big Brother Mouse on a another blog recently trying to compile a list of literacy projects. This is such a special project and I am thrilled you could be involved, Diane!
So pleased you enjoyed this Post Joanna. I actually received a couple more photos, but put these ones up as it showed the faces more closely. Thankyou for mentioning Big Brother Mouse, I love that the work they do gets around. Would love to set up a project with other writers in some way to help. Thanks again Joanna.
I am so proud of you for doing this event with Big Brother Mouse.. I loved the photos.
I followed you here from Comment Challenge 2012. Not sure what that is but I saw it on Susanna’s blog post and clicked on it. I guess I need to go back and read the FAQ. So many ideas abound on the internet it’s hard to keep up.
Again, thanks for this post and the activity behind it. 🙂
Thanks Clar for commenting and enjoying this post. Anything to help the kids get books is worth while.
The Comment Challenge…. you need to comment on 5 blogs a day for 21 days…..lol. There is a lot going on, alright.
What a wonderful, wonderful thing, I’ll be so happy to add Big Brother Mouse to my list of charities!
Oh Thankyou, thankyou, so much Zoe. I believe my writing buddy Joanna informed you about Big Brother Mouse. So cool, others will now hear about it.
What a great need you stumbled upon. Books can and do make a difference. I hope you are able send some of your books over there too!
Wasn’t it! Thankyou Kim for visiting my blog. Books really do make a difference. That would be a dream indeed. Thankyou.
That is such a wonderful thing… makes such a difference. Well done.
Diane, Thanks for making a differece in these children’s lives. S.E. Asia holds a special place in my heart too.
Thankyou Tania for your lovely comment.
Thankyou Laurie, I visited your blog and so enjoyed your illustrations, they are gorgeous. I can well believe SE Asia does and in mine.
Wow, how heartwarming! Thanks for sharing these pictures.
Thankyou Madigan. Your welcome. Pop back anytime.
Oh wow. This post brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful thing to be a part of. I am now going to follow the link and read more about this super cool project. Thanks so much for sharing.
Your welcome Loni, I love it that people are seeing this and letting me know how much it touched them. Thankyou.
That’s so beautiful, and so wonderful you found this way to enrich the childrens’ lives. Thanks for sharing it with us 🙂
Hugs,
Rach
Your welcome Rachael, I am just hoping more people will hear about it and check out the website. Thanks again.
Diane, my grown kids always ask what I want for birthday, Mother’s Day, Christmas, etc. Now I will point them to BigBrotherMouse.com as a stellar way to multiply their giving by sharing books with kiddos who don’t have any – and this retired librarian loves getting books to readers!
(found you through MotherReader & Lee Wind’s Comment Challenge)
Thankyou Katy, what a wonderful idea! Often Mums and Dads are so hard to buy for and it would be nice to donate in their name to something like this. Thankyou again for sharing and commenting, do pop back again.
I read this a few days ago but didn’t have time to respond then. Its brought tears to my eyes ,the fact that those children don’t have something I have spilling out of every nook and cranny in my house. My New Year Resolution was not to purchase any more books until I have read the vast amount I already have.I now propose to save the money I would have spent on books and make a donation to the charity to enable them to buy more books for those gorgeous children.Thank you Diane for drawing attention to this charity. And well done for providing them with a book party, they all looked so happy.
awww thankyou so much Anne for your lovely comment. I was hoping they would be attached to a challenge of some kind so then the pressure wouldn’t be on any one person but as a cumulative effort. Maybe someone will. Thankyou again for doing what you can. The kids are so sweet and I know they would appreciate it. They are so untouched by the western world, shy with impeccable manners and willing to please…. the ones I came in contact on my visit to Luang Prabang.
My daughter taught Engish as a voluteer in a little village in Thailand, she also helped build a school and the children were so grateful and happy in really small things.Her photos of the children are lovely too. It changed her life and made her go to university to train as a social worker. Your post made me think of the children in her photos.
Those were wonderful pictures and a moving, inspirational story. I hope you do achieve your goal.
Thankyou Magdalena, so lovely of you to drop by.
Anne, thankyou for telling me about your daughter. She would have seen a lot. That’s one thing that sticks in my mind is how the kids are so untouched by western ways.
Okay, I think we should organize a book donation drive and plan a book party from 12 x 12. This is just fantastic! I know you mentioned it before but I started to feel overwhelmed and wasn’t sure if people would be into doing charity, but since we wouldn’t be asking participants to ask friends/family for money, I think it would work. If I understand you correctly, we simply donate books and then they go to the kids in the jungle?
I’m curious whether you sent them books in English? I wouldn’t imagine they read English. Or were there books in their own language?
I am not sure they are wanting books donated as they are more interested in getting the books they have had donated or given to them republished into their language. The book party would be the way to go. Thanks for taking the time to look at this Julie.
What a wonderful project! Thank you for posting about this. Beautiful, happy faces in those photos. 🙂
Thankyou Caryl, aren’t they happy! Thanks also for stopping by, do come again.