Positive Spin Press, the independent publishing company started by husband and wife team Lisa Sferlazza Johnson and Tucker Johnson, was founded upon two principles: helping children understand the world they live in, and creating a positive way for them to learn about it. The story of how it all began is both surprising and heartwarming.

Like all parents, Lisa Sferlazza Johnson and Tucker Johnson care about their daughter’s health. When Josie, now four years-old, was just two and the sugary holiday of Halloween rolled around, the Johnsons wanted their little one to enjoy dressing up and having fun with neighborhood kids; what they weren’t too keen on was having her binge on copious amounts of candy, as is the common practice. They also struggled to explain to their toddler just why she was going door-to-door on October 31st.

Since both Lisa and Tucker had worked indirectly with the youth market, and were interesting in tracking trends, they set about investigating the mixture of Halloween myths and stories available for small children. The pair scoured bookshelves but found no help in exploring and explaining this child-oriented but not entirely child-friendly holiday. As a result, they decided to craft new origins for the holiday by creating Eve, a charming winged fairy who has been around ever since “once upon a time.” Working together while Josie was attending day camp that summer, Lisa wrote out the fairytale and Tucker designed the story’s engaging images for a book they gave their daughter on her third birthday. The tale of Eve, who sprinkles fairy dust as she exchanges her toys for collected candy, has “taught Josie sharing, friendship and kindness,” according to the Johnsons.

Lisa Johnson adds, “All Hallows Eve: The Story of the Halloween Fairy” explains the holiday with elements little ones love and can relate to: fairies, birthday parties, and make-believe. The win for adults,” she admits, “is that it also assists in the goal of low or no candy intake.”

“All Hallows Eve…” has even led to a partnership between the Johnson family and the American Diabetes Association, whose joint goal is to offer healthy alternatives for children who can’t participate in the Halloween candy-fest. The success of the beautifully illustrated book also triggered a demand for further stories of the charming little fairy, resulting in “Christmas Eve: The Joy of Giving.” The Johnsons are currently at work on a book about New Year’s Eve, and plan to follow that up with others about St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and the origins of all the religious winter holidays.

With the publication of Eve’s adventures by their new independent publishing company, Positive Spin Press, Lisa and Tucker Johnson hope to offer children joyful tales that explore traditions and events all children are exposed to, but rarely are they helped to understand. Several other illustrators and authors have joined the fold, and will likely publish some of their own original works through Positive Spin Press in 2008.

Text Box: Text Box: Lisa Sferlazza Johnson and Tucker Johnson are available for interviews. Form more information, please call The Goodwin Group at (781) 784-5381, or log on to www.postivespinpress.com.