Date: Fri 10-Jul-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Kern-Donna-Alphabet

Full Text:

Newtown Artist Honored With Dr Toy Award

(with book cover)

The Kern Alphabet Card Games, created by the author/artist Donna Kern, has

received a Dr Toy Award naming it a "Best Children's Vacation Product --

1998." This year's award recipients were formally announced June 30. The card

games, based on an internationally popular set of alphabet drawings, were

created by Donna Kern, a Newtown resident.

(Mrs Kern was the focus of a May 1, 1998, article in the "Enjoy" section of

The Newtown Bee .)

Sponsored by the Institute for Childhood Resources, Dr Toy is the only program

offered free to consumers. Focusing on "unique, high-quality, educational,

creative and active toy products," the Dr Toy concept was developed by the

noted child development authority Stevanne Auerbach, Phd. Dr Auerbach's weekly

"Dr Toy" column is distributed by King Syndicated Features to more than 1,500

newspapers nationwide.

The recently released 30th anniversary playing cards and games catalogue by

Stamford-based US Games Systems features the Newtown resident's graphic art in

a variety of challenging games for ages 3-7.

"We are extremely pleased for Donna Kern and US Games Systems," said Stuart

Kaplan, the chairman and founder of US Games Systems. "Our commitment is to

excellence in entertainment, and Donna's games and book are in keeping with

this objective." US Games publishes playing cards and games, trade books, and

tarot cards and books.

"Additionally, US Games is celebrating its 30th anniversary and this award

contributes significantly to the occasion," said Mr Kaplan.

Kern Alphabet Card Games are available as their own purchase. After August,

the games sets will also be available in a package with The Kern Alphabet Book

. The sets will also include a full-color 11 by 17-inch poster of The Kern

Alphabet.

The Kern Alphabet was created in 1989 originally as an air brush design

experiment and promotional piece. The alphabet was an immediate hit, and was

discovered by parents and teachers, who declared it "a wonderful teaching

tool." In 1993, Aladdin Books (a subsidiary of Macmillan Publishing, which is

now Simon & Schuster) published From Apple to Zipper , which ran Mrs Kern's

illustrations set to rhyming text by Nora Cohen.

A new book featuring the Kern Alphabet, The Kern Alphabet Book , this time

with text also by Mrs Kern, is being released in August on US Games Systems'

Cove Press imprint. From apple to zipper, the new book continues to tickle the

imagination while helping readers of all ages discover the ABCs in an exciting

new approach.

The Children's Museum at Indianapolis, the largest children's museum in the

world, acquired the 26 original paintings and Macmillan published the design

as a children's book. Donna Kern owns the copyright to her drawings, and the

images have since been used on everything from T-shirts and notepads to

puzzles and decorative pieces.

The Kern Alphabet has also been translated into French, Spanish and German.

Mrs Kern has also since created The Kern Occupations Alphabet and The Kern

Animals Alphabet.