The next time you visit a bookstore or library, check out a book from Michigan’s local independent children’s publisher, Cardinal Rule Press. With a bright red cardinal decorating their book’s spines, you won’t be able to miss these stories.
Cardinal Rule Press is a small and mighty press born in Michigan by founder Maria Dismondy. A Michigan native, Dismondy graduated from Michigan State University and became a classroom teacher. With her experience in education, she traveled and spoke across Michigan promoting the topic of children’s social emotional growth.
She soon began writing her own children’s books. One of her most well-known works, Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun, features illustrated cardinals throughout the pages. Dismondy wanted to spotlight the cardinal’s message: When someone we care about passes away, seeing a cardinal is a reminder of hope. The symbol of the cardinal grew into a visual representation of the Cardinal Rule.
In 2015, Dismondy established Cardinal Rule Press. While working remotely from her Michigan home and raising three little ones, she built a team of children’s book experts working together with a shared goal. Cardinal Rule Press is staunch in its mission to create stories that spotlight the Cardinal Rule: books that focus on character development, kindness, and showing readers how they can be their best selves.
Cardinal Rule Press is excited to celebrate their upcoming release, This Could Be You, by Mt. Pleasant author Cindy Williams Schrauben and illustrated by Julia Seal. This whimsical picture book empowers all readers to believe in who they are and to see that their unique traits are valuable. The public is invited to a book launch party with Cindy Williams Schrauben at Impression Science Center in Lansing on April 2nd from 11-2. For readers farther afield, join the virtual book launch on April 1st!
Christie Megill is an editorial intern at Cardinal Rule Press and she spends most of her spare time reading children’s books. She has previous experience as a writer, elementary school teacher, curriculum developer, and literacy specialist.
