Happy Mug x Rasmus

Recently Rasmus did little interview with Brooklyn Book Bodega discussing his design process and why he decided to donate the proceeds from his Happy Mug sales to Brooklyn Book Bodega .

Name: Rasmus

Age: 9 

Grade: 4th

What is his favorite book or series right now?

My Favorite book series is Harry Potter, Last year my mom read the whole series to me and now I am reading them to myself. My other favorite book is The Marvels by Brain Selznick, I love the story and his illustrations

What is he planning on reading soon?

 I just watched the movie Enola Holmes and I can’t wait to read the book series

What was his favorite book when he was younger?

Iggy Peck the Architect

Why did he decide to donate to Brooklyn Book Bodega?

Last year I drew a picture of a smile face mug that I asked my mom to make for me. It is one of my favorite cups and I use it all the time because it makes me happy.

Recently, I wanted to make more of them so I asked my mom to help me. We discussed selling and giving the profit to a charity. We asked friends which charities made a difference for kids in Brooklyn who are going through a hard time right now and our best pal and fellow author Bianca Turetsky recommended Brooklyn Book Bodega.

What exactly is his artistic process? (e.g. is he painting, where do the mugs come from, etc.) 

I created these design one morning at breakfast with my family. I doodled a sketch of a mug with big ears and a happy smile. I asked my mom if she could make it for me.

This time when making this series I worked with my mom to figure out the ear size and I drew each face in pencil so that she could wax them before glazing. My sister helped take some videos of the mugs being glazes which were really fun since they were done in slow motion.

How can readers support his mug sales?

We have made a limited edition of 5 Happy Mugs which are for sale on Lost Quarry

A little bit of information about Brookyn Book Bodega.

On Tuesday December 1st, Brooklyn Book Bodega will be participating in #BrooklynGives as part of #GivingTuesday, a global effort to raise much needed funds for local nonprofits and to celebrate generosity and unity in our community. We are writing to you today because you have shown your support for Brooklyn Book Bodega in the past. As of today, with your help, we have distributed 52,584 books to 8,736 people and engaged over 536 volunteers. 

While the pandemic impacts all of us, it does not impact all of us equally. In April of 2020 we pivoted away from hosting community gatherings centered around literacy toward partnering with community based organizations to ensure that kids and families received books alongside food and other essential items. We, like you, know that while food and shelter are essential, books nourish the soul and feed the mind. Since April, we have distributed over 27,000 books to over 5,000 people. We have streamlined our systems to ensure that books get into the hands of the children and families who need them most.

It is crucial, especially now, for children to have books at home while adjusting to the new normal of remote learning, time away from friends and loved ones, general disruption to their routine, and potential loss and hardship. Books offer escape, education, comfort and a constructive way for families to spend time together. Providing books to families during these unprecedented times means that children and their families have a concrete way to nourish their minds alongside their bodies. 

For more information please visit:

https://www.brooklynbookbodega.org/

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