Caring Causes: Clever Fox Press

When Julie Fox and her family were forced to leave Russia twenty-five years ago, they naturally faced insurmountable adversity and plight. But, as a young girl at the time, one memory stands out for Fox greater than any other – the sheer heartache and debilitating sadness that came with leaving behind their pet dog, Emma.

It’s a memory that flooded back to Fox in 2015 as news of Syria’s refugees began to hit the media; memories still so potent that Fox decided to do something about it.

A writer at heart, Fox fictionalized the story of leaving Emma and shared it not only to raise vital awareness for the collective story of child refugees, but to provide solace to young Syrians living out her story. The book was fittingly titled ‘Goodbye, Emma’.

Synopsis:

Struggling with the idea of introducing the topic of refugees to your little ones? 'Goodbye, Emma' is your book! In addition to helping children understand what it means to be a child refugee, it helps them relate to the hardships, both physical and emotional, of children fleeing war and torture.

'Goodbye, Emma' tells the story of a boy refugee who is forced to leave behind his pet when his family flees the country.

This book is based on a true story. Once upon a time two children had to leave their country because they were refugees. The author was one of these children. The children could not take their dog with them. Their dog was called Emma. Emma lived for many years more and died an old dog back in the country the two children no longer could call home. They always loved Emma. And Emma loved them.

“When I struggled to find a publisher for the book, I decided to start my own venture that would not only publish children’s books, but introduce young readers to vital social concepts that would raise funds and awareness for child refugees around the world,” explains Fox. “And so, Clever Fox Press was born; a company dedicated to all child refugees and the children of refugees born in the safety of their new motherlands.”

Continuing, “The first hundred copies of the book were shipped to refugee camps in Greece and Iraq and to the charities which are working with children refugees in England, Canada, Germany and Turkey. It was at this point I realized just how many stories I had that I needed to share and, through a unique collaboration with artists and toy makers around the world, we’ve since created ten further children’s books that are either published or in the process of being published. Everything works to our mandate of raising money for and awareness of child refugees.”

Other titles from the company include:
‘Nana and Babushka’
‘My Dad is a Witch’

‘The Neeps’ (Tales of My Childhood, Book 1)

‘Dom the Dough Ball’ (Tales of My Childhood, Book 2)

‘Bo’s Dream Jobs’

Tommy the Learned Cat goes to Rugby: Letters from the Boarding School (book dedicated to Rugby School’s 450th anniversary)

Fox’s collaborations have gone from strength to strength.

“Currently we have a team that spans Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Spain, Latvia and India. We treat children how they want to be treated – as intelligent young adults who can comprehend and explore the many social and scientific issues our stories touch on. We do it through the re-introduction of poetry and rhyme that mixes the hallmarks of classic children’s literature with our compelling, cutting-edge approach. And of course, it all comes back to the welfare and prosperity of the children we cherish.”

To learn more about Clever Fox Press, their publications and charitable goals, visit the official website: http://www.cleverfoxpress.com.

About the Author:

Clever Fox Press is a small non-profit publisher, authoring, producing and distributing children’s books which introduce important social & scientific concepts.

Illustrations for our books are sourced from talented artists around the world. Proceeds from sales of our books are donated to various refugee centres and charities involved with assisting children refugees.