Happy Birthday I Can Read!
By Karyn M. Peterson -- Playthings, 10/1/2007
It all began with one very special little bear, and the rest is history. Fifty years ago, author Else Holmelund Minarik and the soon-to-be-famous illustrator Maurice Sendak created Little Bear, a sweet story with simple words, short sentences and enough repetition to make it ideal for kids just learning how to read. The now classic became the very first book in HarperCollins' ongoing I Can Read! series; to date, the perennially popular title has sold more than 2 million copies. I Can Read!, overall, is even more impressive, with 87 million titles sold and more than 250 titles currently in print. Books in the series have been named Newbery and Caldecott Honor Books and featured on top recommended lists, including ALA Notable Children's Books, New York Times Outstanding Children's Books, Parenting Best Children's Books and Reading Rainbow. What has distinguished I Can Read! is its inclusion of authors that are widely considered masters of children's literature, its color-coded leveling of all book titles, and a back-cover design that recommends other books at the same reading level, HarperCollins spokesperson Elyse Marshall tells Playthings. And now in the digital age, a dedicated website (www.icanread.com) provides information and activities for parents and caregivers. So what's next for the series? HarperCollins recently revealed that Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy will be the newest member of the I Can Read! family. She makes her debut at retail in February with two titles, Fancy Nancy at the Museum and Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris.
