ValueTales

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A ValueTales biography of the Canadian amputee athlete and cancer victim Terry Fox.
A ValueTales biography of the Canadian amputee athlete and cancer victim Terry Fox.

ValueTales is a series of simple biographical children's books published primarily by the now-defunct Value Communications, Inc. in La Jolla, California written by Spencer_Johnson_(writer) and Ann Donegan Johnson and illustrated by Stephen Pileggi. They were published in the late 1970s and early 1980s. There were likely 45 books in the series.

Each book gave a simplified biography of a historical figure as an allegory, illustrating the value of a positive characteristic. Each volume was a white pictorial glossy hardback book around 60 pages long with a brightly colored cartoon of the figure, along with some anthropomorphic item or animal that would narrate the subject's life throughout the book.

The title of each book would be The Value of x: The story of y , where x is the characteristic being exemplified and y is the subject (i.e. The Value of Determination: The Story of Helen Keller). Early editions of the books used a different format: The Valuetale of y: The value of x . So for instance the first edition of the Helen Keller book was called The ValueTale of Helen Keller : the value of determination

The books were quite popular in homes, elementary school libraries, pediatrics offices, and sunday schools across North America. The ValueTales were out of print for many years, as of 2007, a company has started reprinting them as The New ValueTales and selling them on a subscription-only basis over the Internet.

[edit] Books

Value Subject Author Publication Date ISBN Notes
Adventure Sacagawea Ann Donegan Johnson February 1, 1981 ISBN 0-916392-59-7
Facing a Challenge Terry Fox Ann Donegan Johnson November 1, 1985 ISBN 0-7172-8134-5
Patience Wright Brothers by Spencer Johnson ISBN 0-916392-03-1
Saving Benjamin Franklin by Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi August 1978 ISBN 0-916392-17-1
Imagination Charles Dickens by Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi December 1977 ISBN 0-916392-15-5
Foresight Thomas Jefferson by Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi February 1980 ISBN 0-916392-42-2
Kindness Elizabeth Fry by Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi March 1977 ISBN 0-916392-09-0, ISBN 0-916392-04-X
Creativity Thomas Edison by Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) November 1984 ISBN 0-916392-72-4
Boldness Captain Cook by Johnson, Ann Donegan Johnson June 1986 ISBN 0-7172-8188-4
Positive Attitude Michael Landon by Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-7172-8263-5
Understanding Margaret Mead by Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) June 1979 ISBN 0-916392-37-6
Dedication Albert Schweitzer by Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi February 1980 ISBN 0-916392-44-9
Leadership Winston Churchill by Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) August 1989 ISBN 0-86679-046-2
Charity Paul-Emile Léger by Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-7172-1884-8
Courage Jackie Robinson by Spencer Johnson August 1977 ISBN 0-916392-12-0
Believing in Yourself Louis Pasteur by Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi ISBN 0-916392-06-6, ISBN 0-916392-01-5 aka Believing, pub'd March 1, 1977, ISBN 0-916392-06-6
Determination Helen Keller by Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-916392-02-3, ISBN 0-916392-07-4 ISBN -4 pub'd March 1977
Helping Harriet Tubman by Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi February 1980 ISBN 0-916392-41-4
Respect Abraham Lincoln by Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi June 1977 ISBN 0-916392-14-7
Friendship Jane Addams by Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) February 1980 ISBN 0-916392-45-7
Fairness Nellie Bly by Ann Donegan Johnson December 1977 ISBN 0-916392-16-3
Giving Beethoven by Ann Donegan Johnson June 1979 ISBN 0-916392-34-1
Humility Mother Teresa by Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-7172-8316-X
Patience Wright Brothers by Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi March 1977 ISBN 0-916392-08-2
Honesty Confucius by Steve Pileggi, Spencer, M.D. Johnson June 1979 ISBN 0-916392-36-8
Tenacity Maurice Richard by Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi ISBN 0-7172-8143-4
Love Johnny Appleseed by Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi June 1979 ISBN 0-916392-35-X
Discipline Alexander Graham Bell by Ann D. Johnson, Steven Pileggi (Illustrator) April 1985 ISBN 0-7172-1887-2 aka Self-Discipline, June 1985, ISBN 0-7172-8176-0
Responsibility Ralph Bunche by Ann Donegan Johnson November 1978 ISBN 0-916392-29-5
Curiosity Christopher Columbus by Spencer Johnson November 1977 ISBN 0-916392-13-9
Caring Eleanor Roosevelt by Ann D. Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) ISBN 0-916392-11-2
Overcoming Adversity Wilma Rudolph Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-7172-8731-9
Dignity Arthur Ashe Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-7172-8339-9
Sharing Mayo Brothers Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi ISBN 0-916392-28-7
Humor Will Rogers Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi ISBN 0-916392-05-8
Conviction Cesar Chavez Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-7172-8482-4
Compassion Florence Nightingale Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-7172-8482-4
Commitment Jacques Cousteau Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-7172-8820-X
Optimism Amelia Earhart Ann Donegan Johnson ISBN 0-7172-8780-7
Fantasy Hans Christian Andersen Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi ISBN 0-916392-43-0
Truth and Trust Cochise Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi ISBN 0-307-69957-9
Learning Marie Curie Spencer Johnson, Ann D. Johnson June 1979 ISBN 0-686-98175-8
Laughter Lucille Ball Ann Donegan Johnson May 1990 ISBN 0-7172-8217-1
Imagination Jim Henson

[edit] External links