Twenty-five years ago, the first picture book about a young girl named Jamaica was published by Houghton Mifflin (original cover above, 20th anniversary edition below).
Written by author Juanita Havill and illustrated by me, Jamaica's Find has been published in Spanish, in England and New Zealand, in book-tape and book-cd editions, and as an e-book, and reprinted in school book clubs and curriculum programs. It was recommended on Reading Rainbow, and read by former first lady Barbara Bush on her radio program. (As a result, Juanita and I were invited to the White House for tea, with everyone else connected to the radio show. We met there and have been in touch ever since.) This week Publisher's Weekly included Jamaica in an article on book anniversaries.
Best of all, the first Jamaica is still in print, and has been joined by six other titles about the same character:
Here's my announcement of #7.
Juanita and I interviewed each other here and here.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMAICA!
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