aniliblog http://aniliblog.posterous.com Ethical games, books and toys for kids posterous.com Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:38:45 -0700 See our @thegreenparent magazine Dec feature http://aniliblog.posterous.com/see-our-thegreenparent-magazine-dec-feature http://aniliblog.posterous.com/see-our-thegreenparent-magazine-dec-feature

The Green parent magazine is running an article on our bedtime bears in their Dec cover. Fantastic news for anili. Do check us out

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Wed, 08 Jun 2011 04:16:00 -0700 Anili supports Julia Donaldson and our local libraries http://aniliblog.posterous.com/anili-supports-julia-donaldson-and-our-local http://aniliblog.posterous.com/anili-supports-julia-donaldson-and-our-local

Congratulations to Julia Donaldson, the new Children’s Laureate appointed yesterday! Julia, we support your efforts to ensure children have access to libraries. We agree that libraries are crucial to developing a love of reading. That’s why we offer all our books to libraries at a special rate, so that children and their parents can have access to our wonderful stories, rhymes and pictures. Our books demonstrate the use of differing language skills, and contain games that are fun and provide fun practice of the necessary skills, and encourage children to enjoy reading.

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" The simple rhyming text used in these delightful books is pitched perfectly for supporting children who are starting to learn to read. The themes match young children’s interests and experiences. We also really loved the size and feel of these books."

Mrs J Hughes - Headteacher - Hassocks Infant School

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Wed, 08 Jun 2011 02:26:00 -0700 Sue Porto champions volunteer reading helpers to improve our childrens literacy skills http://aniliblog.posterous.com/sue-porto-champions-volunteer-reading-helpers http://aniliblog.posterous.com/sue-porto-champions-volunteer-reading-helpers

A report released yesterday by the National Literacy Trust shows that 3 in 10 children come from homes that do not have a single book in their homes. 1 in 5 children leave primary school with inadequate reading skills. Former Ofsted Director Sir Jim Rose commented: “We are in serious trouble.... We need to do something urgently. It is a responsibility we cannot afford to shirk.”

Sue Porto on the BBC news channel this morning spoke of the positive effect of one-to-one support offered by “volunteer reading helpers” on children’s reading skills. On the program an 8-year-old said “if you don’t read, you don’t get clever”.

At Anili we know that adult involvement at an early age can establish a love of reading and engagement with education. That’s why all our books contain games and guidance to encourage parents and cares to build an early love of books as well as specific literacy and language skills.

 

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Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:58:00 -0700 National Literacy Trust shocked at latest kids book ownership findings http://aniliblog.posterous.com/national-literacy-trust-shocked-at-latest-kid http://aniliblog.posterous.com/national-literacy-trust-shocked-at-latest-kid

Research from the National Literacy Trust published yesterday (1st June) shows that 3 in 10 children live in households that do not contain a single book. This is coupled with research that shows that those children who have books at home at an early age perform better at school.

Former Ofsted Director Sir Jim Rose commented: “We are in serious trouble...We need to do something urgently. It is a responsibility we cannot afford to shirk.”

This responsibility lies at the heart of Anili’s endeavours. We are doing our best to ensure that affordable attractive books with quality content and illustrations are available for children.

Our books encourage children to read, a skill required in every aspect of life, no matter how technologically advanced.

While we love ebooks and their attendant technology, we feel it will always be essential for children to experience the feel of books and enjoy the immediacy of illustrations in their hands.

Reading should be encouraged from the earliest age. The smallest hands can turn pages and find favourite parts of loved stories long before they have the skills and know-how required to manage e-readers. Providing this opportunity provides a head-start for school and life!

 

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Thu, 12 May 2011 02:28:00 -0700 Our media coverage so far! http://aniliblog.posterous.com/our-media-coverage-so-far http://aniliblog.posterous.com/our-media-coverage-so-far

You just might like to take a little peak at our press and radio coverage.........

 

AniliPressPackMay2011.pdf Download this file

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Wed, 11 May 2011 05:20:00 -0700 Storytime fun at Hassock Infant School http://aniliblog.posterous.com/storytime-fun-at-hassock-infant-school http://aniliblog.posterous.com/storytime-fun-at-hassock-infant-school

We had so much fun on Tuesday 10th May at Hassocks Infant School, West Sussex.

It was storytime, so Cynthia sat down with a quiet and attentive class of 42 children and read 'Forest Fun' , a story about being in a lovely english forest and finding food and friends.  But it wasn't quiet for long......oh no..... time to role play and let little imaginations run free! 

We split the class into two groups, so one group of children were 'forest animals' and the other group were 'forest foods'. Then being inspired by the games suggested in the book, the children ran around the room 'tagging' the food or animal that 'matched' them. Oh shall we pretend to be a badger, or a cricket, or a bird, or a worm, or a big beautiful deer?  Or shall we be an acorn, or a mushroom, or a worm, or a big fat juicy blackberry?  And just how do you pretend to be a blackberry? Does it make a noise? How does a worm move across the ground or a cricket say hello?  To find out more about anili books go to www.anili.co.uk

 

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Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:40:00 -0700 We're in March's Echo Business edition. Check out our article - has a great picture too! http://aniliblog.posterous.com/were-in-marchs-echo-business-edition-check-ou http://aniliblog.posterous.com/were-in-marchs-echo-business-edition-check-ou

Sewing their way to the best sellers
By Darren Slade

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It started as a meeting of two women at a sewing class in a church hall.

But now a Dorset business has launched four children’s books into the national market, with the help of an endorsement from former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo.
Anili is a two-woman business dedicated to books that are educational, environmentally friendly and ethically sound. The idea came about after Emma Henley and Cynthia Berman enrolled on the same sewing course held at St John’s Church Hall in Westbourne, Bournemouth. But this is no vague pipe dream.

Instead, the pair combined their talents into a serious business partnership. Cynthia, who wrote the books, is experienced in child development and early years education, and spotted a gap in the market for books that took the right approach to literacy.

“We decided we’d make the medium the message, put forward sound educational stuff in a really fun way,” she said. Cynthia, a grandmother in her early 60s, says she knew within 10 minutes that Emma was her ideal business partner. Aged 39, with extensive experience in marketing, Emma had creative skills and the business acumen to see the project into print. “We decided to go with four books,” said Emma. “Having spoken to education professionals and doing thorough comparative research of what’s out in the market place, we made the business decision to go with the series.”

The pair hired local illustrators and designers and found a printer capable of producing the books on recycled paper.

In order to interest the national book-sellers, they decided it would be important to get high-profile endorsements early on. First came one from David Crystal, honorary professor of linguistics at Bangor University, and then the testimonial from Michael Morpurgo. “I thought Sun and Storm was a delightful play on words and pictures. So bravo!” wrote the author of War Horse and Kaspar. “And bravo too for all you are doing. Anything we can do to bring stories to children and children to stories is much needed.”

The initial four books range from Sun and Storm, aimed at children from 18 months to three years, to Cosmic Council: The Saturnian Rings, an adventure which complements key stages one and two at school. The books are priced £4.99 or £5.99 and come with games which can be cut out or photocopied.

Emma and Cynthia are in negotiations with Gardners Books, the national wholesaler whose business is key to placing titles with national chains such as Waterstone’s.

In order to be in that market, they decided they had to commit themselves to producing 10,000 copies of their four titles combined, so Emma’s home is packed with books.
“It’s a huge financial commitment for us both,” says Emma. “Everything else is on hold. My full-time job is Anili. There’s zero income at the moment.” But if the gamble pays off, enrolling at Mary Wallander’s Westbourne sewing class could be one of the best decisions the pair ever made – even if the sewing has been neglected for a while.
Details can be found at anili.co.uk

Article shown in Bournemouth Echo March Business Edition p30

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Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:00:00 -0700 Listen to our interview with Radio Solent aired on Monday 2nd April http://aniliblog.posterous.com/emma-boscombe-vintage-market-2nd-april-radio http://aniliblog.posterous.com/emma-boscombe-vintage-market-2nd-april-radio

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Oh was a little nervous being interviewed for Radio Solent about my stall at Boscombe Vintage Market on saturday, but Katie Martin was great. Listen to me talking about the launch of Anili, our products and all about Boscombe Vintage Market here. P.S. I'm a few secs in! 

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Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:29:00 -0800 Daily Echo interviews Anili on World Book Day http://aniliblog.posterous.com/daily-echo-interviews-anili-on-world-book-day http://aniliblog.posterous.com/daily-echo-interviews-anili-on-world-book-day

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We're on page3 of today's Daily Echo in Dorset! How wonderful and all in celebration of World Book Day. After Tuesday's photoshoot where Cynthia and I got buried in our books, this is the fabulous picture.....  along with the article.

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Dorset author's books get approval from literary stars

A FEW hand-written lines from former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo are just the endorsement that two Dorset women need.

“I thought Sun And Storm was a delightful play on words and pictures. So bravo!” wrote the author of War Horse and Kaspar.“And bravo too for all you are doing. Anything we can do to bring stories to children and children to stories is much needed.”

Sun And Storm is one of four books published by Anili, a two-woman business dedicated to books that are educational, environmentally friendly and ethically sound.The idea came about after Emma Henley and Cynthia Berman enrolled on the same sewing course held at St John’s Church Hall, Westbourne. But this is no vague pipedream. The pair have formed a serious business partnership which is already on the verge of getting the books stocked in the national chains.

Cynthia, who wrote the books, is experienced in child development and early years education, and spotted a gap in the market for books that took the right approach to literacy.“We decided we’d make the medium the message, put forward sound educational stuff in a really fun way,” she said.Cynthia, a grandmother in her early 60s, says she knew within 10 minutes that Emma was her ideal business partner.Aged 39, with extensive experience in marketing, Emma had creative skills and the business acumen to see the project into print.

The pair hired local illustrators and designers and found a printer capable of producing the books on recycled paper.In order to interest the national booksellers, they decided it would be important to get high-profile endorsements early on.First came one from David Crystal, honorary professor of linguistics at Bangor University, and then the testimonial from Michael Morpurgo.

The initial four books range from Sun And Storm, aimed at children from 18 months to three years, to Cosmic Council: The Saturnian Rings, an adventure which complements key stages one and two at school.The books are priced £4.99 or £5.99 and come with games which can be cut out or photocopied.

Emma and Cynthia are in negotiations with Gardners Books, the national wholesaler whose business is key to placing titles with national chains such as Waterstone’s.In order to be in that market, they decided they had to commit themselves to producing 10,000 copies of their four titles combined, so Emma’s home is packed with books.

“It’s a huge financial commitment for us both,” says Emma.“Everything else is on hold. My full-time job is Anili. There’s zero income at the moment.”

But if the gamble pays off, enrolling at Mary Wallander’s Westbourne sewing class could be one of the best decisions the pair ever made – even if the sewing has been neglected for a while.

NOTE:  Interested in uying our books?  Then simple go to www.anili.co.uk , order online and Emma will pop them straight into the post for you.

 

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Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:38:33 -0800 Guardian's Early Years Education Convert - are you? http://aniliblog.posterous.com/guardians-early-years-education-convert-are-y http://aniliblog.posterous.com/guardians-early-years-education-convert-are-y

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What a lucky child Dana is! The Guardian reported today that her mother Dorothy Lepkowska has come to realise the importance of encouraging development in the under fives. Education boffins have long understood the positive impact of early years development on children’s schooling and beyond. The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is aimed at ensuring that tried and tested steps are taken by nurseries to encourage children to reach their full potential, and we at Anili support the EYFS fully, in spite of controversy over the “nappy curriculum.” What do others think?

 

 

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Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:26:00 -0800 Oh the smell of new books! http://aniliblog.posterous.com/oh-the-smell-of-new-books http://aniliblog.posterous.com/oh-the-smell-of-new-books

What a day its been. Lovely new #books arrived today with a fanfare from Emma and Cynthia at anili. Our dream to bring #educational books and #Eco-friendly books to children has come true! Take a look... they are gorgeous books.

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Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:47:00 -0800 Story repetition helps children learn http://aniliblog.posterous.com/story-repetition-helps-children-learn http://aniliblog.posterous.com/story-repetition-helps-children-learn

Research released today by psychologist Dr Jessica Horst of Sussex University shows that reading the same book over and over to kids helps to increase their vocabulary and reading skills. “Each time a child hears a book they are picking up new information,” says http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/story-repetition-h...">Dr Horst.

So if your kids choose the same book every day for weeks at a time, bear with them: they are having fun learning!  Kids especially like to repeat books that contain rhythm and rhyme.

That’s why at Anili we have produced entertaining and educational rhyming books that kids will love to read over and over. The word play and humour will keep adults from getting weary, while providing kids with loads to learn. There is plenty of familiar and challenging vocab, and also specific language patterns and structures, as well as loads of information about the world around them.  

 

Forest_fun_Cover.pdf Download this file
Tale_of_Tails_Cover.pdf Download this file

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Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:16:00 -0800 'Bravo'! says Michael Morpurgo about our Sun and Storm book http://aniliblog.posterous.com/bravo-says-michael-morpurgo-about-our-sun-and http://aniliblog.posterous.com/bravo-says-michael-morpurgo-about-our-sun-and

Former child Laureate and the nations favourite storyteller Michael Morpurgo OBE sent us a handwritten postcard today on our book Sun and Storm. He said,

"I thought Sun and Storm was a delightful play on words and pictures. So bravo! And bravo too for all you are doing. Anything we can do to bring stories to children and children to stories is much needed. This is needed!  Love, Michael Morpurgo

As you can imagine we are very happy!

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Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:14:00 -0800 Anili Book Press Pass Day! http://aniliblog.posterous.com/anili-book-press-pass-day http://aniliblog.posterous.com/anili-book-press-pass-day

What a day its been for Anili - such excitement and joy with our book press pass. After a years hard work to get the Lit Set range completed we've finally achieved our goal and have a fab set of educational books to offer the children's educational sector.  And who'd have thought it would take 22 hours to print 10,000 books? 

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