Thanks & Giving All Year Long A Book and CD Project
Marlo Thomas, creator of the classic Free to be . . . You and Me, has once again produced a joyful volume for children and the grown-ups in their lives. An original collection from some of today's most acclaimed writers, artists and performers, Thanks & Giving: All Year Long celebrates family, friendship, giving, thankfulness, and love (and just for fun, a few of their opposites—stinginess, bullying, ingratitude, and the occasional urge to stamp your feet and throw a fit).
Thanks & Giving: All Year Long includes stories, songs and poems that embrace the ups and downs of living in a give-and-take world. The release of the book and the CD coincides with the first annual national "Thanks & Giving" campaign, which launches Friday, November 26th and lasts through the holiday season. Proceeds from the campaign will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which was founded by Ms. Thomas' father, Danny Thomas, in 1962.
The star-studded Thanks & Giving CD which was produced by Marlo Thomas and Chris Cerf will be released on November 16th through Kid Rhino/Atlantic Records. It features exciting new recordings by Marlo Thomas, Sheryl Crow, Jimmy Buffett, Hilary Duff, Faith Hill, Billy Crystal, Jennifer Aniston, Robin Williams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kermit the Frog, James Earl Jones, Wayne Brady, Rosie Perez, The Bacon Brothers, David Hyde Pierce, Uncle Kracker, Antonio Banderas, Amy Grant and John Hiatt.
The marvelous book version of Thanks & Giving: All Year Long, available from Simon & Schuster, is designed for both cover-to-cover reading and selective excerpting (when you can't refuse that last impassioned call for "One more story!" just before lights-out). Whether you're gazing at the brilliant child's-eye paintings of Eric Carle, or laughing out loud at the off-the-wall humor of Mel Brooks, you'll enjoy every step of the magical journey that the creators of Thanks & Giving have planned for you:
• Delight in Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's fractured fable starring a mouse, a bird, and a sausage who learn all about sharing—the hard way. • Hold on tight as Rosie Perez recounts the tale of a little girl confronted with a heart-stopping decision. • Rock along with Kevin and Michael Bacon's funky valentine to sibling rivalry and brotherly love. • And laugh with Ray Romano as he reveals how his life was changed by a giant burrito.
This sparkling anthology also includes inspired contributions from Maurice Sendak, Kate DiCamillo, Hilary Duff, Avi,Tom Chapin, Arthur creator Marc Brown, Matt Groening, Deepak Chopra, Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, Frankie Muniz, Walter Dean Myers, Paul Newman, Sumner Redstone, Jerry Pinkney, Whoopi Goldberg, Sonia Manzano, the Sesame Street Muppets, Julianne Moore, Ed Koren, Donald Trump, Wendy Wasserstein and Paul O. Zelinksky.
"I often wondered why we only think about thanks and giving one day a year," says Ms. Thomas, whose other best-selling books and albums were similarly inspired by her own personal curiosities. "The truth is, we really thank and give each and every day.
"Once the people we asked to be involved started saying yes, we really knew we were onto something. Imagine getting an original drawing from the great Maurice Sendak, just for our book! Or new songs from Hilary Duff and the Bacon Brothers;or specially recorded musical performances from Sheryl Crow and Jimmy Buffett and Faith Hill; or original stories from great celebrities like Ray Romano, Tiger Woods and Whoopi Goldberg. And, of course, we are so proud to include the best award-winning children's writers and illustrators in Thanks & Giving, and even appearances by such wonderful kids' characters as Arthur and the gang from Sesame Street. Kids and parents are going to love it!"
Ms. Thomas adds that, while Thanks & Giving "is often touching and poignant, it's never over-serious. At moments, it's lighthearted and silly, occasionally irreverent, and always very entertaining. I've read it countless times, and it still makes me laugh. And there are stories that always touch my heart, too."
Marlo Thomas and Friends have contributed all royalties from Thanks & Giving: All Year Long to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. For more information, visit www.stjude.org.
Thanks & Giving CD Track Listing:
1. All Kinds of People - Sheryl Crow 2. The Mouse, The Bird, and the Sausage - David Hyde Pierce 3. I Want It! - Uncle Kracker and Marlo Thomas 4. Teenie Meany - James Earl Jones, with Marlo Thomas 5. Attitude of Gratitude - Jimmy Buffett 6. A Different Aladdin - Billy Crystal 7. A Smile Connects Us - Kermit the Frog 8. The Thing About Generosity - Marlo Thomas 9. Unsung Heroes - Wayne Brady 10. Josie's First Allowance Day - Rosie Perez 11. The Little Stuff - Marlo Thomas 12. The Nothingest Girl in the World - Sarah Jessica Parker 13. (I'll Give) Anything But Up! - Hilary Duff 14. Point of View - Robin Williams 15. You Know My Brother (He's So Heavy) - The Bacon Brothers 16. Cheesybreadville - Antonio Banderas 17. Snow, Aldo - Jennifer Aniston 18. Sing Me the Story of Your Day - Faith Hill 19. A Tale of Two Friends - Bert, Ernie, and Marlo Thomas 20. Thank Someone - Amy Grant and John Hiatt
