Press
Release                                                                                            
            Oct. 19, 2009

(For
Immediate Release)

 

Challenge & Fun: “The ‘I’m Me!’ Children’s CD is a
Breath of Fresh Air.”

ASHLAND, Ma. – (Oct. 19, 2009) Warm and clear like a bee’s
best honey, the voice and lyrics of singer Charlie Hope
beckon the imaginations of her pint-sized listeners and their parents, too. Hope’s
folksy style also recently charmed some discerning panelists, who bestowed a Parents’
Choice Awards Silver Honor on her “I’m Me!” debut CD.

 

Hope’s
“lyrics are easy to understand and fun to repeat,” stated her Parents’ Choice
Awards (PCA) evaluation summary. “The a cappella songs are as singable as those
with instrumental backup. Each song – original or traditional – is buoyed by
her impressive use of voice and vocal sound effects.”

 

The Silver
Honor awarded for Hope’s children’s CD is one of only three silvers given this
fall in the PCA music audio category. Four music projects were given gold-level
kudos, and more than two dozen other musicians were commended for their work. The
Parents’ Choice Awards committees recognize only about 20 percent of all items
submitted for stringent judging. Categories include books, toys, DVDs,
software, TV, video games, magazines, websites and audio.

 

Hope
heard about her award via email and responded with the same sunny disposition
evident in her songs. “I was excited and called my mom right away,” the artist
explained. “Then once it was up on the Parents’ Choice website, I sent an email
to all of my close friends to let them know – as this is quite an honor,” she
said. “I remember just over a year ago – while writing and recording ‘I’m Me!’ –
I had looked up the Parents' Choice Awards.  Now…to be included with a
silver award is just great.”

 

“I’m
Me!” is geared for children 1 to 7 years of age. Hope also recently released her
second CD on the Little Maple Leaf Productions label, a collection of soothing
songs and lullabies titled “World of Dreams”.

 

“Charlie
Hope’s music is one of our sweeter products,” said Rob Wilson, the director of
marketing for Challenge & Fun,
a wholesaler of children’s natural and wholesome products. “The ‘I’m Me!’
children’s CD is a breath of fresh air.”

 

To hear
a song written and performed by Hope, check out the online music video clip
featuring her winsome train tune on www.charliehopemusic.com. The website also lists her
concert and event schedule.

 

The
Parents’ Choice Foundation was established more than 30 years ago by author and
educator Diana Huss Green, who envisioned a non-commercial clearinghouse to
help parents find the very best quality toys and learning products. Today, the
foundation’s award panel includes educators, performing artists, librarians,
parents, scientists and children who endeavor to evaluate products objectively.

 

“The
Parents’ Choice Awards committees look for products that entertain and teach
with flair, stimulate imagination and inspire creativity,” states the
organization’s website. “Judges are interested in how a product helps a child
grow: socially, intellectually, emotionally, ethically and physically. Among
the considerations of the jurors and judges: the learning value, the play
value, the appeal and the cost. A product’s originality weighs heavily in the
judges’ decisions.”

 

About
Challenge & Fun

Challenge & Fun,
Inc. was
established in 1998 to introduce beautiful, natural children's products not
readily available in the U.S.
market. Through the years, the product mix has evolved, but the company
has stayed true to its original objective while using only the finest materials.
Challenge & Fun currently features soft, organic
cotton
dolls and stuffed animals, as well as wooden blocks and fruits
and vegetables – all made in Europe. The
company has developed its own balance boards, manufactured from sustainable
wood here in the USA.

 

Contact

Do you
have questions about the “I’m Me!” music CD or Challenge & Fun, Inc.? Would
you like to set up an interview with singer-songwriter Charlie Hope? Call Rob
Wilson at the Challenge & Fun Inc. office at 1-888-384-6200 or
1-508-881-7500.

 

Challenge
& Fun, Inc.

Rob
Wilson

Director
of Marketing

PO Box 222
Ashland, MA
01721

 

Email: info (AT) challengeandfun.com

Toll
Free: 888-384-6200

 

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