It was back in 2018 that local publisher Lisa Browning (One Thousand Trees) was first connected with Malcolm Bernstein, founder of the Benjamin Project. At that time, Malcolm was looking for someone to publish his second book about his beloved dog, Benjamin, and Lisa happily agreed to do so. The rest, as they say, is history!
Since that time, Lisa and Malcolm have collaborated on a second book, an anthology entitled Animals and Our Emotional Wellbeing: Personal Stories About Our Best Friends and Their Impact On Our Lives, and they are currently working on an extensive project with humane societies in Ontario (and one as far-reaching as Newfoundland!) which will include several anthologies about animals and the love and joy they bring to our lives, written for and by children.
Lisa connected Malcolm with children’s author and illustrator Sandra Wilson in 2021, after Animals and Our Emotional Wellbeing was published. Since then, Sandra has been involved in promotional work for the Benjamin Project, and she drew the beautiful illustrations on the cover of the calendar.
It is a partnership that brings to life the words of Joy Mangano: “There is something special when creative people get together.”