About Us
Thank you for your interest in books that are a “voice for the voiceless.” Our mission is to publish beautifully illustrated children’s picture books about the vital issues that animals–domestic, wild, and farmed– face, and to present those issues in such a way that children gain insights into and develop empathy for every animal life. All our books are intended to illuminate the struggles that non-human animals face in modern society and to strengthen the human-animal bond.
Our picture books are designed to work as read-alouds for preschool children as well as maintaining high interest for readers up to the third grade. However, because of the nearly universal interest in animals by children of all ages, we’ve also found that our books have excellent applicability to ESL and struggling readers in higher grade levels, as well as suitable themes for students of all ages. In fact, our books have been used in high school and college curricula.
Founder and CoPublisher
Emilie Buchwald has been a writer, editor, award-winning children’s book author and teacher. Several years before founding The Gryphon Press she retired as publisher of the nationally acclaimed nonprofit literary press Milkweed Editions. She has received a number of awards for her work in the service of literature; among others, the McKnight Distinguished Artist Award and The National Book Critics Circle Lifetime Achievement Award. Buchwald is the author of two award-winning children’s novels, Gildaen and Floramel and Esteban.
Sam the dog, though long gone, was the inspiration behind the founding of The Gryphon Press.
CoPublisher
Dana Buchwald is an attorney, who, in addition to her work in publishing, has worked as a producer, director, and performer in theater and as a freelance writer/editor. She is a Senior Humane Policy Volunteer Leader for the Humane Society of the United States and served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Humane Educators. She holds a B.A. from Carleton College and a Law Degree from American University. She is currently pursuing an LLM in Animal Law at The Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School. She shares her life with her dog, Mocha, and her diva cat, Kitty.
Learn more about Emile and Dana Buchwald in a podcast interview done for “Connected Roots.” The interviewer was Megan Moon, President and Founder of Humane Education Coalition.
Listen!
Read “The Light of The Gryphon Press” article in Animal Culture Magazine.
A good combination: kids, dogs, and books!
The Gryphon Press titles showcase a range of important issues and ideas in humane education, including— the joys as well as the responsibilities of pet ownership, animal abuse and neglect, teaching empathy to children, dealing with overpopulation, the need to eliminate puppy mills, choosing a pet for its entire life, adoption, and fostering. The books approach these subjects in an appropriate, engaging, and non-didactic manner. Each book offers detailed information in the back of each book about the issue addressed for parents and educators. In addition, we encourage you to look for and download the free teaching guides that accompany many of our titles.
Buddy Unchained in the classroom
We are grateful for the enthusiastic letters from parents and children about our books, as well as the endorsement of humane educators–a group of teachers who, for the most part, are employed by shelters and humane education groups to teach children about responsible behavior towards animals as well as towards other people. The professional organization of these teachers, the Association of Professional Humane Educators, recommends our titles, as does the National Humane Education Society and The Institute for Humane Education. Our titles are on the reading lists and used in the programs of a number of organizations that work to help animals and to strengthen the animal-human bond, such as (in alphabetical order):
- The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
- Best Friends Animal Society
- HEART (Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers)
- The Humane Society of the United States
- Institute for Humane Education
- RedRover Readers
- Humane Education Coalition
