Stamford, CT — This day can be seen as a slam dunk for the children’s publishing industry as Grove Street Publishing (GSP) announces their partnership with NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins. Together, GSP and Mr. Wilkins will develop educational and entertaining stories to inspire young readers worldwide, with the first book set for publication next month, according to Kevin Phun, CEO and Co-founder of GSP.

“The messages in our stories will touch on diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity, all really important and timely topics here in the U.S. and around the world,” says Phun. We believe his messages and life lessons will inspire children to become the best version of themselves. Along with Mr. Wilkins’s extensive NBA portfolio which includes nine time All-Star, First Team ALL NBA, league scoring champion and so much more, he is also a special person interested in shaping the future of today’s youth,” Phun adds.
“I’m excited to team up with Grove Street Publishing to bring my story to children’s books. This is a great opportunity to teach kids life lessons about adversity, rising to the challenge, and going from no light to highlight,” says Dominique Wilkins.

“This is especially important as there is a real void in the marketplace for these types of stories. Out of the hundreds of titles on our children’s book platform Grover, there are fewer than 10 titles that address these issues,” adds David White, GSP’s Chief Creative Officer. “Mr. Wilkins’s stories will open the reader’s eyes to these ongoing issues at a time that’s of critical importance, and interest, to parents and children. Through these books, we will offer important insight and perspective for young readers and parents and move forward ideas towards a brighter future for all people, especially children.”

Grove Street Publishing will create both characters and sports-inspired stories based on Dominique Wilkins’s childhood. The physical book will also be augmented reality based, allowing readers to see the story come to life with any mobile device.
In addition to the physical book, Grove Street Publishing is creating a custom plush basketball based on the story. This collectible plush basketball will be available alongside the book for purchase in the future.

“In particular,” notes Andres Peguero, GSP Co-CEO “is the need for stories, solutions and technology to assist children with learning disabilities. By leveraging our interactive platform and solutions such as augmented reality, children with learning disabilities can also enjoy storytelling and books”.

The Dominique Wilkins story will be available in an interactive read-along on GSP’s children’s book platform, Grover. Portions of each sale will be donated to the nonprofit organization KultureCity, an organization focused on creating sensory-friendly, inclusive experiences in venues for individuals with sensory disabilities.

“We are truly honored to partner with Grove Street Publishing on the release of Dominique Wilkins’s book and plush. We are confident that this book will not only tell a great story and teach many valuable lessons, but also help raise funds to promote acceptance and sensory inclusion for those with invisible disabilities,” notes Julian Maha, KultureCity’s CEO.

The first book in the Grove Street Publishing and Dominique Wilkins series is set to be released in September 2021.

About Grove Street Publishing
Grove Street Publishing is a minority-owned children’s publishing company based in Connecticut. Grove Street Publishing’s mission is to inspire kids to become lifelong learners with entertaining stories that include purposeful lessons. Grove Street Publishing aims to do this by creating original diverse stories for young readers and leveraging technology to provide an immersive multi-sensory storytelling experience.