Come Meet Okin the Panda Bear!
There’s a new children’s book hitting the shelves this weekend about a very special panda bear that talks with his paws.
Okin the Panda Bear Finds his Family is the newest book from Austin author Jeff Lutes; it’s published by Austin-based and gay-owned and operated Creative House Kids Press. The book follows young Okin as he travels across the ocean to a new home in a new country, meets his two daddies, and learns how to express himself through the beauty of sign language.
With colorful characters like Quick Paws the Panther, Baldy the Tiger, and panda friends Pang, Kang, Bang, Kew, Pu and Bao Yu, this book is sure to become a fixture for bedtime story time.
A book release party will take place 2-4 p.m. Sunday, November 13, at the Barnes & Noble in the Arboretum. Children are encouraged to bring their parents along for a very special story time reading of the book by Lutes; the reading will be translated by an American Sign Language interpreter.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event. A portion of the proceeds will donated to Out Youth, Austin’s only provider of services specifically tailored to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth ages 12 to 19.
More information about the release party, the book’s author and illustrator, and information on how to RSVP or sponsor the event can be found online OkinBookRelease.EventBrite.com
