NEW YORK, Nov. 22 -- Bill Cosby, TV star, comedian and writer, has authored a series of six 'Little Bill' children's books for young readers aged 7 to 10, Scholastic Inc. announced Friday. Scholastic, which will publish the books beginning next fall under its Cartwheel imprint, said they address such subjects as honesty, kindness, courage, creativity, family and friendship through 'subtlety, humor and good storytelling.' Cosby, who grew up in a Philadelphia ghetto, often has drawn on his own childhood for his comedy routines, his humorous recordings and his animated TV series, 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.' After establishing himself as a television actor with 'I Spy' in the mid-1960s, Cosby completed his masters and doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Cosby, now 59 and father of five, went on to be one of the wealthiest and most influential men in entertainment with his hit NBC series 'The Cosby Show' in the 1980s. He now stars in 'Cosby' on CBS, a sitcom that has him playing a down-and-out blue-collar worker and family man. 'I would like to thank the illustrator, Varnette P. Honeywood, whose work I very much appreciate, as well as Dwight Allen, dean of the School of Education, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, for giving me the opportunity to expand my creativity into the extraordinary world of education,' Cosby said in the announcement. 'It is because of the blending of these two that I gratefully and humbly extend the book series 'Little Bill.'
' Barbara Marcus, executive vice president and publisher of Scholastic Books, called Cosby 'one of America's leading storytellers, trusted by parents, teachers and children.' 'His special view of life, whether depicted on the screen or in print, is treasured by children of all ages,' she said. 'We believe 'Little Bill' will excite young readers who are beginning to read on their own and that the series will be a great read-aloud for home and classroom.' New York-based Scholastic Inc., founded in 1920, is the leading publisher and distributor of children's books, classroom and professional magazines and other educational materials.
