POLAND – A Portrait of the Country Through its Festivals and Traditions, is a children’s book project sponsored by the Polish American Arts Association of Washington, DC. The first edition, published in 2015, met with a very positive response and sold out within the year. Thanks to continued support from the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Poland, as well as generous donations from the Kosciuszko Foundation, other organizations, and individual donors, we have now published the second, expanded edition of the book.
Poland – A Children’s Book Project – Facebook Page
Poland Children’s Book Project – The Author
Carla Hazard Tomaszewski is a true lady of Polish background, born and raised on American soil yet with a heart yearning for Poland. She is a 3rd generation Polish American – her maternal grandmother being born in Poland in 1898. Her grandmother came over on the boat as a baby in her mother’s arms, so she did not get to truly know Poland in its rich cultural depth. Their family settled in Baltimore, a city in the State of Maryland – near to Washington DC.
We had a vision to create a children’s book about Poland which is unique to American Polonia.
TravelLovePoland online magazine December 2017 issue – pages 74-75.
Carla, along with her brother Charles, inherited her artistic genes from her parents. She was born in Baltimore in 1951 and attended Maryvale Trinity College Prep from first grade through high school. Having apprenticed at KBH/Graphics design studio in Baltimore while still a student at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, she eventually graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in art, winning the Steinbugler Award as a top art major, and began work at KBH/Graphics as an illustrator and graphic designer.
As a professional artist, she has exhibited extensively in numerous one-woman and invitational shows. She has had her work presented to Pope John Paul II as a gift upon his elevation to the Papacy in 1978, and, in 2005, to Anna Walentynowicz – mother of Poland’s Solidarity free trade union movement.
History of Poles in Baltimore
The history of Poles in Baltimore dates back to the late 19th century. The Polish community is largely centered in the neighborhoods of Canton, Fell’s Point, Locust Point, and Highlandtown. Poles are the largest Slavic ethnic group in the city and one of the largest European ethnic groups.
As of September 2014, immigrants from Poland were the 18th largest foreign-born population in Baltimore and the Polish language was the 11th most commonly spoken language, after English.
The first Polish immigrants to Baltimore settled in the Fell’s Point neighborhood in 1868. Polish mass immigration to Baltimore and other U.S. cities first started around 1870, many of whom were fleeing the Franco-Prussian War. The first Polish-language newspaper in Baltimore, titled Polonia, began publication in 1891.
Information about Polish History of Poles taken from Wikipedia.
Poland Children’s Book Project – The Background – The WHY?!
USA holds the largest number of people that hold total or partial Polish ancestry. There are an estimated 9.15 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.83% of the U.S. population. According to Wikipedia, there are roughly 20,000,000 people of Polish ancestry living outside Poland, making the Polish diaspora one of the largest in the world and one of the most widely dispersed.
Culture.PL listed the 7 Most Polish Cities Outside of Poland – 1) New York; 2) Paris; 3) Toronto; 4) London; 5) Vilnius; 6) Chicago; 7) Curitiba – it is no wonder that 2 of them are in the USA. The USA was a safe-heaven for people migrating from Poland. But this means that you have generations of people with Poland at heart but that has never actually experienced Poland firsthand. You might have now children that would have trouble staying in touch with their Polish Roots. This is why Carla Hazard Tomaszewski decided to give them a helping hand by creating the Poland Children’s Book Project.
Poland Children’s Book Project – How was it done?
The Poland Children’s Book Project was created specifically for the English speaking audience. But why was that? Because there were so few books available in the USA for the children to learn about the beloved homeland: Poland.
Under the auspices of the non-profit Polish American Arts Association of Washington DC, the author asked for private donations and also got a grant from the Foreign Ministry of Poland to pay for the expense of printing several thousand copies – some hardcover and most softcover.
Poland Children’s Book Project – Public Reception
International Publicity
The Poland Children’s Book Project had its share of International Publicity by being featured in the TravelLovePoland online magazine December 2017 issue – pages 74-75.
International Cooperation
One of the stories featured in the book – Lech and the White Eagle – was sourced from a lovely blog about Poland and its folklore, customers, mythology, legends, history, and traditions: Lamus Dworski.
Reception from the public
Poland Children’s Book Project was first introduced to the public in December 2015, as “Poland – A Portrait of the Country Through its Festivals and Traditions”. It met a very positive response after its first printing and it was exhausted in no time! They have now published the second, expanded edition of the book (November 2017).
The second edition has a larger format of 8.5” x 11”; upgraded binding; additional 20 pages with more stories, crafts, recipes and songs – all traditional Polish!
How can one order the book?!
You can send out an order with a check made out to The Polish American Arts Association of Washington DC – noting, of course, that is for the Poland Children’s Book Project. You can see the prices above, in the photo.
Their goal is to get the books distributed to various libraries, Polish schools, and organizations across the USA. If your group is interested in acquiring copies of the book for your own use or to donate to a school or library, please let them know and they will arrange to send them. Tax-deductible contributions will enable them to distribute more copies.
The book is available for $24 for hardcover and $15 for softcover. Volume discounts are as follows :
SOFTCOVERS
1-9 copies – $15 each
10-19 copies — $13.50 each (10% discount)
20-49 copies — $12.00 each (20% discount)
50-99 copies — $11.25 each (25% discount)
100+ copies — $10.50 each (30% discount)
HARDCOVERS
1-9 copies – $24 ea.
10-19 ” – $21.60 ea. (10% discount)
20-49 ” $19.20 ea. (20% ” )
50-99 ” $18.00 ea. (25% ” )
100+ ” $16.80 ea (30% ” )
I also highly recommend you to follow Poland, a children’s book project – Facebook page – as they do update it with excerpts and pictures from the book.
So, what are you waiting for? Do drop by their Facebook Page and ping them about the book – trust me, it is worth your time. The visuals are lovely and the book is engaging for children, as it provides them crafts that they can do in their spare time (while locked indoors due to Coronavirus, for example!).
Yours always truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug That Wants You To Learn More About Your Polish Roots
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