Susan Hepburn (she/her)
School Accounts Coordinator
Susan has been with Red Balloon since 1992. She has a BA in Theology but her work life has been devoted to print: book publishing, two magazines, and now bookselling. Her favorite books growing up were Make Way for Ducklings, Christopher Columbus by the D’Aulaires, and the Little House Series. She loves customer contact, whether at the counter or in the process of handling school orders.
A Few Favorites:
This is a charming tale about a family of ducks that makes its way across the city of Boston to the Public Garden with the help of Michael, a police officer. Readers will smile at the pride Mrs. Mallard takes in her little ducklings, and the plucky way she makes the journey with all of them trailing behind. Perfectly told and illustrated, this book has been a favorite for young readers since 1941.
Hanna is such a compelling character. As an Asian child (half-Chinese) newly moved to a small town on the prairie in the 19th Century, she works hard to overcome prejudice that manifests itself in slights from adults, and bullying by other students, to show on her own terms that she is a person of value and merit. Lots to think about with this book.
This book is stunning...full of so much interesting information about libraries in general, the history of the Los Angeles Central Library, the fire that ravaged it in 1986, the history of book burning, the mystery surounding the fire and the person who was accused of setting it. Beautifully written, and lovely to listen to on audio (read by the author). This is a favorite to recommend.
The perfect board book to read with a toddler in your lap. It's gently interactive without flaps to flip or slides to pull or wheels to turn. It follows the life of a tree through the seasons with the child helping to create the changes. Beautifully done. (Also available as a picture book.)
A perfect book, exquisitely illustrated. The story of a beloved grandmother who was loved and cared for all her life by a family that shared what little they had. The grandchildren are privileged to care for her and in return they hear details about her life and their family history. And always, we come back to "the most beautiful thing".
Simple, yet profound, this book illustrates the way small acts of kindness, put together, can create a whole world full of kindness all while acknowledging that it's not always easy to know how to be kind in certan situations, and that sometimes it can take lots of courage.