FOR ADULTS , AIDS is still a terrifying epidemic. For children, it is both a complex mystery and a frightening reality to comprehend. As frustrated adults who originally found themselves tongue-tied when trying to explain AIDS to the children in their lives, John and Kevin can tell you there is no picture book currently on the market that focuses on the basic concepts that children need to understand as they grow up in a world impacted by the AIDS epidemic.

As a result, they wrote and illustrated Aunt Imelda’s Dinosaur Stew: And Other Things AIDS  Doesn’t Stand For, a 500 word picture book that gently introduces children (Ages 5 to 8) to the basic concepts of AIDS, reinforces the importance of compassion and understanding, and approaches it all in a whimsical and user-friendly fashion.

John’s work as a writer has appeared in publications ranging from Plays: The Drama Magazine for Young People to adult fiction in the magazine Genre. John’s nonfiction work has appeared in publications ranging from Advocate.com to Voluntary Action Leadership and he is a columnist for the magazine, Wag. John’s educational background includes a BFA in Theater for Youth, which included extensive study in children’s literature. John’s work as a consultant and trainer for the nonprofit sector, including work with AIDS organizations, has given him unique insight into this field. In addition, he is the Executive Director of PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) a San Francisco organization with a 19-year history of providing direct services to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Aunt Imelda is illustrated by Kevin Woodson. Kevin is a founding partner of Visual Ink, LLC, a corporate communications company specializing in the art of visual language.  Visual Ink’s clients include many Fortune 500 businesses such as Hewlett Packard, Citigroup, and PepsiCo.  Books that Kevin’s illustrations recently appeared in are: The World Café; Brown, Isaacs, et. al. Berrett-Koehler 2005, and Virtuoso Teams, Boynton, Fischer, Prentice Hall 2005.  He is also an active artist, displaying his watercolors in museums and galleries across the Bay Area.

Both Kevin and John are proud members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.