Jumpstart Selects Jenny Torres Sanchez’s With Lots of Love

BOSTON – Jumpstart for Young Children, a national early education organization, has selected ​​With Lots of Love by Jenny Torres Sanchez, illustrated by Andre Ceolin, for this year’s 18th annual Read for the Record literacy campaign. The campaign will culminate in Read for the Record Day on October 26, 2023, when it will bring together over 2 million readers across thousands of classrooms, libraries, and communities in an annual, global effort to celebrate early literacy and provide access to high-quality children’s books. For the fifth year, The TJX Companies, Inc. —a longtime Jumpstart contributor—will serve as the campaign’s exclusive presenting sponsor. 

“At Jumpstart, we believe that reading aloud with young children – whether at home, in the classroom, or in other community settings – provides positive experiences that ignite children’s  imaginations, help them build a greater understanding of the world, and cultivate a lifelong love of reading,” said Jumpstart President and CEO Naila Bolus. “With Lots of Love will take children on a journey that is both familiar and unfamiliar, and it embodies everything that we hope to uplift in our annual Read for the Record campaign: diversity, community, culture, family, and empathy for our neighbors.” 

Published by Viking Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers (a division of Penguin Random House), With Lots of Love is a beautiful story of the ways in which we stay connected across long distances to those we love. It honors the special place that grandparents can hold within families, and celebrates the power of food, home language, and traditional decorations to keep people connected.  

One of the pillars of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign is to promote representation in children’s literature, so that books can serve as both mirrors and windows. We want children to see characters who  look like them, sound like them, and who  share similar experiences, and also be exposed to new outlooks and understanding. With Lots of Love does this beautifully, and will inspire and affirm children, regardless of where they come from. 

“I’m thrilled to be able to share the journey of Rocio, her family, and her abuela with the world on Read for the Record Day,” said author Jenny Sanchez Torres. “Immigrant families experience so much change and can attest to a sense of a dual existence. I myself have felt as though I’ve lived on the border of two worlds my whole life. My hope is that With Lots of Love will not only serve as a comfort for children and families who have gone through similar experiences, but it will foster understanding and empathy amongst their peers and neighbors.”  

“We’re proud to support Jumpstart in their mission to uplift unique, inclusive narratives that reflect the diversity of our world,” said Tamar Brazis, Vice President and Publisher, Viking Children’s Books. “In With Lots of Love, Jenny and Andre paint a heartwarming picture of love, family, and longing that so many people can relate to, and we cannot wait to share their message with young readers across the globe.” 

Thanks to continued support from The TJX Companies, the global retailer of leading off-price apparel and home fashions, and the literacy campaign’s exclusive presenting sponsor, Read for the Record will impact thousands of children from underserved communities who have limited access to books by enhancing their home libraries with high-quality literature.   

With Lots of Love will be available in English and Spanish. Jumpstart’s special edition book will feature reading tips, vocabulary words, reading comprehension questions, and activities developed by Jumpstart’s team of early education experts. 

Supporters and participants are invited to join in for a special Instagram live announcing this year’s book with Jenny Torres Sanchez and Jumpstart CEO Naila Bolus today, April 24, at 5:30 PM ET.  

With Lots of Love is available for purchase for just $11 on Jumpstart’s website, with classroom cases of 25 available at a discounted cost of $175, and everyone is invited to pledge to read with Jumpstart at readfortherecord.org. You can also purchase books or cases of books to be donated to a Jumpstart classroom or community partner. All proceeds help bring Jumpstart’s program to more preschool children in underserved communities across the country. To learn more about Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, visit readfortherecord.org. 

ABOUT JUMPSTART FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

For 30 years, Jumpstart has been fueled by the belief that providing high-quality educational opportunities to all young children prepares them for academic and economic success later in life. Jumpstart advances equitable learning outcomes for young children by recruiting and supporting caring adults to deliver high-quality programming and drive systems change through teaching, advocacy, and leadership. Jumpstart has trained more than 60,000 college students and community volunteers, preparing over 140,000 children for kindergarten success. Jumpstart’s program is replicated across the country in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at jstart.org.

ABOUT PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade book publisher, is dedicated to its mission of nourishing a universal passion for reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers everywhere. The company, which employs more than 10,000 people globally, was formed on July 1, 2013, by Bertelsmann and Pearson. As of April 1, 2020, Bertelsmann is full owner of the company. With more than 300 imprints and brands on six continents, Penguin Random House comprises adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital English- German- and Spanish-language trade book publishing businesses in more than 20 countries worldwide. With over 15,000 new titles, and more than 600 million print, audio and eBooks sold annually, Penguin Random House’s publishing lists include more than 80 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.