DAN HASELTINE, LEAD SINGER OF MULTI-PLATINUM, GRAMMY WINNING JARS OF CLAY, READIES FOR RELEASE OF FIRST CHILDREN’S BOOK

Press Release - TRAVERSE CITY, MI) August 14, 2007

Dan Haseltine, lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the acclaimed, multi-GRAMMY winning band Jars of Clay, will release his first book on Sept. 15 through the award-winning children’s book publisher, Mackinac Island Press. Haseltine has connected with millions of fans through Jars of Clay and is hoping to reach an even younger audience through his new book, The One, The Only, Magnificent Me.

“I wrote Magnificent Me because there is nothing more rewarding than fostering the imagination of a child,” shares an enthusiastic Haseltine. “It is so important in setting up a person’s capacity to dream bigger and live more passionately. Ideas that change the world come from people who have been given permission to think about a world far beyond our physical limitations. I wanted to write a book that reminded children that they are amazing and wonderful, and it has everything to do with them being alive, and having a heart and a mind and a soul. All children need to know that they are magnificent – with or without feathers.”

Award-winning artist Joel Schoon Tanis agrees that the story shares such a poignant message, and was excited to be able to use his passion for art to make the book come to life. “I’ve loved and respected Dan’s writing for years, and often paint to his music. To be able to create with him is amazing. Magnificent Me was written with such visual possibility that it allowed me the space to sneak in all sorts of fun details. It let me lose myself in imagination much like the child in the story – and when a kid loses themselves in their imagination, it is truly magical. It is also about strengthening a child’s self-esteem, which can open a world of possibilities to them, just like my parents’ encouragement did for me.”

Publisher Anne Margaret Lewis is very pleased about the pre-release response to the book, which will be distributed in venues all across the country, including 1100 Target stores. “When we first saw Dan’s manuscript and the artwork by Joel, we felt this was something special. We have been showing sneak previews and everyone who has seen it also feels that Magnificent Me is just that – magnificent. This book will give kids the confidence to be secure in their individuality. There is no doubt Magnificent Me will be a very popular book, but it will also be a book that will have the same significance in young people’s lives 10, 20, and even 30 years from now, and that is truly the test of something great.”

In fact, one admirer who experienced the book has said: “It’s a combination of Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. You can tell the writer is a musician because there is a definite rhythm to the words. In addition, I love the splash of color in the illustrations because it shows the way the young boy’s imagination accents his world. And, of course, the message itself is something that everyone needs to be reminded of from time to time. I LOVE this book.”

The One, The Only, Magnificent Me will be published on September 15, 2007 in a nationwide release to stores around the country. Please visit www.mackinacislandpress.com for further details.

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For interviews with Dan Haseltine and Joel Schoon Tanis, please contact: Shakyra Eady at 231-946-7737 or shakyra@mackinacislandpress.com