OSSINING, N.Y., June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 20, about fifteen children, ages 5 to 8 years old, filed into the reading room of the Lois Bronz Children's Center in White Plains NY to hear the entrancing tale of "Sam Bennett's New Shoes." Read to them by the author, Jennifer Thermes, the book tells the story about a boy growing up on a farm in colonial times whose father teaches him about the tradition of hiding old shoes, and who eventually passes it on to his own child. The event was sponsored by Hudson Fusion LLC, an integrated marketing and design firm headquartered in Ossining NY, as part of their ongoing program of "Connecting to the Westchester Community."

Ms Thermes noted that her book was inspired, in part, by an incident that took place at her home, which was built around 1720. "During a renovation project," she said, "my husband found a boot in the ceiling of our dining room. Two years later, we found a shoe under the floorboards. It still had pieces of the wooden pegs that held it together. Needless to say we were fascinated! With research, we learned about a little-known custom of hiding worn-out shoes in a home for luck and protection, called "concealments." I started writing about a boy growing up on a farm in colonial times who learns from his father about the tradition of hiding old shoes. This story became my second book, Sam Bennett's New Shoes."

Hudson Fusion's two principals, Kelley Briggs and Cindy Penchina, said the event was rewarding for a number of reason. "First," said Ms Briggs, "It's always fulfilling to make young people aware of the magic of books, and their ability to stimulate the imagination. Jennifer's book does both jobs admirably, making the most of her outstanding story-telling and illustrating talents."

Ms Penchina noted, "Hudson Fusion's 'Connecting to the Westchester Community' program reflects our dedication to sponsoring projects that instead of soliciting donations -- cash if you will -- allows us to work with Westchester organizations offering imaginative programs to children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to expand their creativity and knowledge base. We had a wonderful time doing it with the Lois Bronz Children's Center."

About Hudson Fusion

Hudson Fusion takes a synergistic approach to its clients' sales, marketing and business growth goals. They offer a full spectrum of branding and marketing services including marketing planning, brand development and corporate identity, print collateral, web site design, search engine optimization, direct marketing and advertising. Hudson Fusion is headquartered at 30 State Street in Ossining, New York, with an additional location in New York City. They can be reached toll-free at 888.203.4704, at 914.762.0900 or online at www.hudsonfusion.com.

About Jennifer Thermes

Ms. Thermes grew up in Port Washington, NY and graduated from Parsons School of Design with a BFA in Communications Design. After working in magazine publishing, where she hired lots of illustrators she realized she wanted to be one and decided to follow her dream. Eventually she started writing and illustrating her own stories, focusing on the colonial time period. Her second book, "Sam Bennett's New Shoes" (Carolrhoda Books, 2006) was named a Bank Street College 2007 Best Children's Book and the School Library Journal said, "Thermes's tale is chock-full of historical facts and tidbits. Her detailed illustrations show much about 18th-century life...an enjoyable read-aloud."

About the Lois Bronz Children's Center

The Lois Bronz Children's Center offers a ground-breaking infant nursery; a toddler and two year old program; a pre-school and Federal Head Start program; Universal Pre-K; a before and after-school program for elementary school children; and Stepping Stones, a New York State certified special education pre-school Program. They are committed to creating a safe and nurturing educational center in which families, teachers and staff are in partnership. www.loisbronzchildrenscenter.org

    Hudson Fusion Headquarters:
    30 State Street
    Suite 204
    Ossining, NY 10562
    Phone: 914.762.0900
    Fax: 914.762.0856

    NYC Office:
    545 8th Ave.
    Suite 401
    New York, NY 10018
    Phone: 212.560.0934
    Fax: 212.330.7588

    Toll Free Phone: 888.203.4704

SOURCE Hudson Fusion LLC