180 Staff Kids Visit Random House In New York

To the delight of more than 180 youngsters and their families, Random House, Inc. last week hosted its largest-ever in-house event in celebration of “Take Our Children to Work Day,” or Kid’s Day, as the company calls it. With the iconic characters from the Children's division's classics, Cat in the Hat, Poky Little Puppy, and Junie B. Jones on hand for photos, Chairman and CEO Markus Dohle welcomed the honored guests, who ranged in age from 5 to 15 years, to the 13th annual Kid’s Day with a family breakfast. Along with Robin Sutton, VP & Director of Human Resources, Mr. Dohle thanked everyone for coming and for the valued contributions their parents and caregivers make to Random House each day. Kid’s Day is an especially important occasion for employees because it offers young members of the extended Random House family an opportunity to see and experience the interesting things that moms, dads, and guardians are working on at their jobs during the week. 

After breakfast, the children were separated by age groups and gathered for a series of workshops designed around various aspects of the publishing process. They covered everything from writing and editing to marketing and sales. When the workshops were over, the kids all came together again for a presentation by Random House Children’s Books author-illustrator Dan Yaccarino. In his most recent book, “All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel,” Mr. Yaccarino tells the story of his great-grandfather, who journeyed from his home in Italy all the way to America in search of a better life.

Kid’s Day ended with a special gift for the special guests: Everyone received a tote bag filled with Random House children’s books, including a copy of “All the Way to America,” which Mr. Yaccarino happily signed. For the rest of the afternoon, children spent time with the special adult who brought them to work that day.