ValueTales
ValueTales is a series of simple biographical children's books published primarily by the now-defunct Value Communications, Inc. in La Jolla, California. The forty-three books were written by Dr. Spencer Johnson and Ann Donegan Johnson, and illustrated by Stephen Pileggi.
Each book gave a simplified and fictionalized 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. Most of the ValueTales books are out of print. In October 2010, Simon & Schuster Children's Books published anthologized five of the ValueTales books in an edition with new illustrations by Dan Andreason.
Books
Value | Subject | Author | Publication Date | ISBN | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adventure | Sacagawea | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1981 February 1 | ISBN 0-916392-59-7 | |
Facing a Challenge | Terry Fox | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1985 November 1 | ISBN 0-7172-8134-5 | |
Saving | Benjamin Franklin | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1978 August | ISBN 0-916392-17-1 | |
Imagination | Charles Dickens | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 December | ISBN 0-916392-15-5 | |
Foresight | Thomas Jefferson | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 February | ISBN 0-916392-42-2 | |
Kindness | Elizabeth Fry | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 March | ISBN 0-916392-09-0 ISBN 0-916392-04-X | |
Creativity | Thomas Edison | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1984 November | ISBN 0-916392-72-4 | |
Boldness | Captain Cook | Johnson, Ann Donegan Johnson | 1986 June | ISBN 0-7172-8188-4 | |
Positive Attitude | Michael Landon | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1992 January 1 | ISBN 0-7172-8263-5 | |
Understanding | Margaret Mead | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1979 June | ISBN 0-916392-37-6 | |
Dedication | Albert Schweitzer | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 February | ISBN 0-916392-44-9 | |
Leadership | Winston Churchill | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1989 August | ISBN 0-86679-046-2 | |
Charity | Paul-Emile Léger | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1983 | ISBN 0-7172-1884-8 | |
Courage | Jackie Robinson | Spencer Johnson | 1977 August | ISBN 0-916392-12-0 | |
Believing in Yourself | Louis Pasteur | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 March | ISBN 0-916392-06-6 ISBN 0-916392-01-5 | aka Believing |
Determination | Helen Keller | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1977 March | ISBN 0-916392-02-3 ISBN 0-916392-07-4 | |
Helping | Harriet Tubman | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 February | ISBN 0-916392-41-4 | |
Respect | Abraham Lincoln | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 June | ISBN 0-916392-14-7 | |
Friendship | Jane Addams | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1980 February | ISBN 0-916392-45-7 | |
Fairness | Nellie Bly | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1977 December | ISBN 0-916392-16-3 | |
Giving | Beethoven | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1979 June | ISBN 0-916392-34-1 | |
Humility | Mother Teresa | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1993 | ISBN 0-7172-8316-X | |
Patience | Wright Brothers | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 March | ISBN 0-916392-08-2 | |
Honesty | Confucius | Steve Pileggi, Spencer, M.D. Johnson | 1979 June | ISBN 0-916392-36-8 | |
Tenacity | Maurice Richard | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1984 June | ISBN 0-7172-8134-4 | |
Love | Johnny Appleseed | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1979 June | ISBN 0-916392-35-X | |
Discipline | Alexander Graham Bell | Ann D. Johnson, Steven Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1985 April | ISBN 0-7172-1887-2 ISBN 0-7172-8176-0 | aka Self-Discipline, June 1985 |
Responsibility | Ralph Bunche | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1978 November | ISBN 0-916392-29-5 | |
Curiosity | Christopher Columbus | Spencer Johnson | 1977 November | ISBN 0-916392-13-9 | |
Caring | Eleanor Roosevelt | Ann D. Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1977 July | ISBN 0-916392-11-2 | |
Overcoming Adversity | Wilma Rudolph | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1996 | ISBN 0-7172-8731-9 | |
Dignity | Arthur Ashe | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1994 | ISBN 0-7172-8339-9 | |
Sharing | Mayo Brothers | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1978 November | ISBN 0-916392-28-7 | |
Humor | Will Rogers | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 March | ISBN 0-916392-05-8 | |
Conviction | Cesar Chavez | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1995 | ISBN 0-7172-8482-4 | |
Compassion | Florence Nightingale | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1987 July | ISBN 0-7172-8482-4 | |
Commitment | Jacques Cousteau | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1998 | ISBN 0-7172-8820-X | |
Optimism | Amelia Earhart | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1997 | ISBN 0-7172-8780-7 | |
Fantasy | Hans Christian Andersen | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 Feb | ISBN 0-916392-43-0 | |
Truth and Trust | Cochise | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 Jan | ISBN 0-307-69957-9 ISBN 0-916392-10-4 | |
Learning | Marie Curie | Spencer Johnson, Ann D. Johnson | 1979 June | ISBN 0-686-98175-8 ISBN 0-916392-18-X | |
Laughter | Lucille Ball | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1990 May | ISBN 0-7172-8217-1 | |
Imagination | Jim Henson | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1992 | ISBN 978-0-7172-8253-1 |
External links
- ValueTales.com
- Dan Andreasen, children's book illustrator