For Immediate Release

Contact: Judy Platt/Deidre Huntington

Ph: 202-220-4551/202-220-4550

One Childhood Treasure That’s Not Being Recalled

Washington, DC, August 15, 2007:  Responding to today’s announcement that safety concerns have prompted the recall of more than 9 million toys from the U.S. market--the third such recall in recent months--American publishers noted that one of childhood’s greatest delights never has to be recalled.

“Perhaps the publicity concerning lead-based paint and design flaws in a host of popular toys presents us with a ‘teachable moment’,” said former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers.  “As parents and grandparents, we need to be reminded from time to time that the best stimulus for a child’s imagination, the most memorable moments of  childhood pleasure, lie between the covers of a book.  We hope that some of those recalled toys are replaced with books—a board book, a picture book, a chapter book, a poetry book—that parents can read with their young children and encourage older kids to read on their own.”

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s approximately 300  members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. The promotion of reading and literacy is among the Association’s  primary concerns.

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