When Maria Dismondy was a little girl, she was teased for her curly hair and favorite lunch-box fare - spaghetti in a hot dog bun. Many ages later, these and other real-life moments continue to fuel what is now her critically-acclaimed career in the publishing world. Former grade school teacher, and now CEO of Cardinal Rule Press, Maria is dedicated to having her publishing company produce picture books that empower children with timeless messages of hope and courage.
Kim Shaw, Illustrator
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun
Maria Dismondy, Author
Way back before we were googling the answers to questions and one-click shopping on Amazon, I was in the classroom teaching first grade. I taught in a suburban school in Southeastern Michigan. The community was diverse and I was often invited to dinner at the home of one of my students. Once, a family gifted me a Sari, a special garment in the Indian culture. In a nutshell, I felt a warm welcome by my students and their families.
I was always using books to jumpstart important conversations in our classroom. I noticed a major gap in the selection of picture books available to me at the time. It bothered me that my students couldn’t open a book and see themselves in the pages. There was a lack of realistic fiction picture books and although I love a good book with a singing fish and a dancing dinosaur, what about books that kids could really relate to?
It was then I decided to write the book I felt our classroom needed and it was called "Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun." The book was about having the courage to be yourself. It was about being different and finding people who accepted you for who you are.
Books are powerful. They are like a bridge between the child and caregiver. It’s a lovely way to spark a conversation around a topic that may be difficult otherwise. When children experience a book, they see characters living their lives, making mistakes and using social skills to problem solve. This can transfer into the children’s day-to-day. Books are indirect lessons for our children which is why my public service announcement in this message is to get books into the hands of your children!
When there are enough books available that act as both mirrors and windows for all our children, they will see that we can celebrate both our differences and our similarities, because together they are what makes us all human.”
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
Dr. Sims-Bishop brings up the concept of books as both mirrors and windows. When a child reads a story that relates to them - with a character like them - the book reflects back to them like a mirror would. This is why there is such a push for diverse picture books today because currently, picture books don’t actually represent our world at large.
In order to teach our children about others, books can be like a window looking into the life and culture of another person. This is especially important for families who live in remote areas, books help them explore the wonderful world from the pages of a book.
At the end of the day, providing access to books for your family will do much more than teach your children about themselves and others. Developing a love of reading will begin to happen as well as literacy skills!
Author and founder of the publishing company, Cardinal Rule Press, Maria Dismondy inspires and educates parents nationwide. When Maria isn’t working, she can be found embarking on adventures throughout southeast Michigan and beyond, where she lives with her husband and three book-loving children.