Bald is Beautiful! Two Books Help Kids Deal with Hairloss and Gain Self-Acceptance

July 2005

Bella & Gizmo's Adventure and Bella Gets a New Sweater are meant to guide and inspire children who undergo chemotherapy, children with Alopecia Areata, Totalis, or Universalis lose their hair and instantly feel different. Some children feel outcast, some feel depressed and some learn to accept and move on.

Ms. Pliszka will be available for a Booksigning and Art Contest August 6, 2005 at 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, Mayfair Mall, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Children of all ages may enter the art contest to draw the next character to join Bella, Gizmo and Lucy in the third story.

Barnes and Noble Mayfair will be exhibiting the drawings in the store so customers will be able to cast their votes for their favorite drawing. The winner's character will appear in the third book.

The second place winner will receive a $20 gift certificate from Barnes & Noble. The third place winner will receive a $15 gift certificate from Barnes & Noble. All the children participating in the art contest will receive a prize from Aurora Behavioral Health Services.

Author, Jodi Pliszka, who has Alopecia Universalis herself, will read both books to the children who attend the booksigning, one the first hour, and the other the second hour of the booksigning.

She will be answering questions about the stories, the characters and her own experience with hairloss and how it led to writing and illustrating these inspirational books.

The children's drawings entered in the contest will be displayed in the Barnes and Noble store for one week, and the winners will be announced at the Nightengale Press Workshop for new authors on August 13, 2005, also hosted by Barnes and Noble at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

A portion of the net proceeds from this event will also be donated to the Vince Lombardi Charitable Funds.

Ms. Pliszka's books are both available at the Mayfair Barnes & Noble, and online at the Nightengale Press Bookstore at www.nightengalepress.biz,.

Ms. Pliszka's website will be launched in time for her signing, at www.jodipliszka.npauthors.com and the books will also be available from the National Alopecia Areata Foundation website www.naaf.com in the coming months.

Be sure to come to the Booksigning and Art Contest on August 6, 2005 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, Mayfair Mall 2500 N. Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 53226 (414)-475-6070

Bella and Gizmo's Adventures, ISBN 1-933449-03-9, $18.95US, Bella Gets a New Sweater ISBN 1-933499-04-7 $18.95US and online at http://www.nightengalepress.com/, on http://www.amazon.com/