Native New Yorker Sylvia Lieberman is in town with her family for the launch of her first children’s book, “Archibald’s Swiss Cheese Mountain,” a story of a little mouse with a big heart and big dreams. Lieberman will be reading and signing excerpts from the book at Diesel, A Bookstore on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Archibald is a brave little mouse who overcomes obstacles to become king of his Swiss Cheese Mountain. Morsels of wisdom are served up through the voice of Momma Mouse, who tells Archibald to “Measure with your whiskers,” as he begins his journey into the world beyond their mouse hole.
Devoting herself to nurturing and educating children, from Girl Scout leader and PTA president to Museum of Natural History docent, Lieberman has also been a perpetual student. In fact, “Archibald’s Swiss Cheese Mountain” was born years ago, when she took a course entitled, “Writing for the Juvenile Reader.” The professor scrawled across the top of her manuscript, “This is publishable material!” and gave her a list of potential publishers. But, Lieberman’s father’s sudden death doomed her manuscript to a drawer, until she rediscovered it years later when her granddaughter was born and Lieberman was searching for good books to read to her. When her granddaughter Tiffany grew up, she and her mom shepherded the book until it found a home at Seven Locks Press, who shared their vision for this classic story that continues to resonate with children.
“Archibald’s Swiss Cheese Mountain” has been endorsed by luminaries such as Peter Alsop, the children’s singer-songwriter, who wrote, “Sylvia Lieberman’s dee-lightful ‘tail’ of Archie the Mouse’s lesson about the scary consequences of over-consumption will generate some great discussion in families and classrooms!”
Jeff Harris, UCLA pediatrics instructor and Malibu family physician, wrote, “This is a wise and engaging children’s book to reinforce that we all can learn from our parents, if we listen and learn with their oversight. Enjoy this good feeling primer for responsible parenthood.”
Mark Victor Hansen, co-founder of “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” wrote, “Let’s feed everyone with this great children’s book that nourishes the soul, mind and body. I love it!”
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit Feed The Children and Variety The Children’s Charity. More information can be obtained at the Web site: www.archibaldmousebooks.com.
More information about Sunday’s reading can be obtained by calling 310.456.9961.