ValueTales is a series of 43 simple biographical children's books published primarily by the now-defunct Value Communications, Inc. in La Jolla, California. They were written by Dr. Spencer Johnson and Ann Donegan Johnson, and illustrated by Stephen Pileggi.
Each book gives a simplified and semi-fictionalized biography of a historical figure as an allegory, illustrating the value of a characteristic. Each volume is 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 narrates the subject's life throughout the book.
The title of each book is The Value of x: The story of y , where x is the characteristic exemplified and y is the exemplary person (i.e. The Value of Determination: The Story of Helen Keller). Early editions of the books use a different format: The Valuetale of y: The value of x . So the first edition of the Helen Keller book is 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 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 | Sex | Author | Publication Date | ISBN | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adventure | Sacagawea | F | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1981 February 1 | 0-916392-59-7 | |
| Believing in Yourself | Louis Pasteur | M | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 March | 0-916392-06-6 0-916392-01-5 | a.k.a. Believing |
| Boldness | Captain Cook | M | Johnson, Ann Donegan Johnson | 1986 June | 0-7172-8188-4 | |
| Caring | Eleanor Roosevelt | F | Ann D. Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1977 July | 0-916392-11-2 | |
| Charity | Paul-Emile Léger | M | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1983 | 0-7172-1884-8 | |
| Commitment | Jacques Cousteau | M | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1998 | 0-7172-8820-X | |
| Compassion | Florence Nightingale | F | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1987 July | 0-7172-8482-4 | |
| Conviction | Cesar Chavez | M | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1995 | 0-7172-8482-4 | |
| Courage | Jackie Robinson | M | Spencer Johnson | 1977 August | 0-916392-12-0 | |
| Creativity | Thomas Edison | M | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1984 November | 0-916392-72-4 | |
| Curiosity | Christopher Columbus | M | Spencer Johnson | 1977 November | 0-916392-13-9 | |
| Dedication | Albert Schweitzer | M | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 February | 0-916392-44-9 | |
| Determination | Helen Keller | F | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1977 March | 0-916392-02-3 0-916392-07-4 | |
| Dignity | Arthur Ashe | M | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1994 | 0-7172-8339-9 | |
| Discipline | Alexander Graham Bell | M | Ann D. Johnson, Steven Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1985 April | 0-7172-1887-2 0-7172-8176-0 | a.k.a. Self-Discipline, June 1985 |
| Facing a Challenge | Terry Fox | M | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1985 November 1 | 0-7172-8134-5 | |
| Fairness | Nellie Bly | F | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1977 December | 0-916392-16-3 | |
| Fantasy | Hans Christian Andersen | M | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 Feb | 0-916392-43-0 | |
| Foresight | Thomas Jefferson | M | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 February | 0-916392-42-2 | |
| Friendship | Jane Addams | F | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1980 February | 0-916392-45-7 | |
| Giving | Beethoven | M | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1979 June | 0-916392-34-1 | |
| Helping | Harriet Tubman | F | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 February | 0-916392-41-4 | |
| Honesty | Confucius | M | Steve Pileggi, Spencer, M.D. Johnson | 1979 June | 0-916392-36-8 | |
| Humility | Mother Teresa | F | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1993 | 0-7172-8316-X | |
| Humor | Will Rogers | M | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 March | 0-916392-05-8 | |
| Imagination | Charles Dickens | M | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 December | 0-916392-15-5 | |
| Imagination | Jim Henson | M | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1992 | 978-0-7172-8253-1 | |
| Kindness | Elizabeth Fry | F | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 March | 0-916392-09-0 0-916392-04-X | |
| Laughter | Lucille Ball | F | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1990 May | 0-7172-8217-1 | |
| Leadership | Winston Churchill | M | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1989 August | 0-86679-046-2 | |
| Learning | Marie Curie | F | Spencer Johnson, Ann D. Johnson | 1979 June | 0-686-98175-8 0-916392-18-X | |
| Love | Johnny Appleseed | M | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1979 June | 0-916392-35-X | |
| Optimism | Amelia Earhart | F | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1997 | 0-7172-8780-7 | |
| Overcoming Adversity | Wilma Rudolph | F | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1996 | 0-7172-8731-9 | |
| Patience | Wright Brothers | M | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 March | 0-916392-08-2 | |
| Positive Attitude | Michael Landon | M | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1992 January 1 | 0-7172-8263-5 | |
| Respect | Abraham Lincoln | M | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1977 June | 0-916392-14-7 | |
| Responsibility | Ralph Bunche | M | Ann Donegan Johnson | 1978 November | 0-916392-29-5 | |
| Saving | Benjamin Franklin | M | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1978 August | 0-916392-17-1 | |
| Sharing | Mayo Brothers | M | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1978 November | 0-916392-28-7 | |
| Tenacity | Maurice Richard | M | Ann Donegan Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1984 June | 978-0-7172-8143-5 | |
| Truth and Trust | Cochise | M | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi | 1980 Jan | 0-307-69957-9 0-916392-10-4 | |
| Understanding | Margaret Mead | F | Spencer Johnson, Steve Pileggi (Illustrator) | 1979 June | 0-916392-37-6 |
External links
- ValueTales.com
- Dan Andreasen, children's book illustrator