Many people have helped us during our early years, with their time, talent, and donations. If you like what we're doing, we would appreciate your support. Here are some ways you can help, whether you're visiting Laos, or far away.

FROM OUTSIDE LAOS

Sponsor a book party and mini-library

It costs us just $250-$400 U.S. to go into a rural village and hold a book party at a village school. For three hours, we talk about books, play games, serve refreshments, and do a short art lesson for 80 to 250 (or even more) kids. Then each of them gets to select a book – nearly always the first book they've ever owned. Finally, we leave another 50 books with the teacher, so kids can swap their book for a new one after they read it.

Sponsoring a book party does more than provide a valuable service for children in a rural village. It creates new readers, a new generation that will want books, so that in the future, book publishing can be a viable, self-sustaining business in Laos. Observe a book party.

Sponsor a book

We have many exciting titles ready to be printed. Each new book costs about $2,500-$6,000 USD to print, but we get some of that back from sales. So a sponsorship of just $1,000-$3,500 U.S. is all that's needed to bring a new book into Laos. Here are some books that need a sponsor.

Translate into Lao, Hmong, or Khmu

Some of our books originate in English or French, and need to be translated into Lao. If you can help, we can publish a more varied range. We also want to publish more books that include both Lao and another language widely spoken in Laos. The lack of suitable translators has kept us from doing as much as we want to. These translations can be done from Lao or, in many cases, from English.

Proofreading and editing by email

Sorry, we do not need proofreading or editing done by email. We've tried this in the past, but it has not proven practical.

Sending us surplus books from abroad

What's really needed in Laos is books in Lao language, that people can read. The money spent on shipping costs would be much better spent to sponsor a book here, or to help us get Lao books into rural villages.

Link to our website

If you have a website or blog, or know someone who does, post a link to Big Brother Mouse. We have made up a few web banners that you can use. Please link to our website home page only, and do not put our email address on your site; it attracts far more spam than anything else.

Let us publish a book you've written.

If you're a published author of a children's book that would be appropriate in Laos, would you give us the rights to either publish it here, or to let our authors and artists use it as a basis from which to create a Lao version? To get started, please send us a brief description of the book. We're particularly interested in non-fiction, for ages up to 15, on a wide range of subjects.

IF YOU'RE IN LAOS

Buying and giving books

If you're traveling in Laos, buy books at one of our shops, and take them when you go to villages. When you buy a set of books, we'll provide advice and suggestions about the most appropriate ways to distribute them. In the towns and cities, give books as tips, to local college students who are working in hotels and restaurants. Take home some bilingual books as attractive and unusual gifts.

Bring an educational toy or game (as explained on the What We Need page), help our staff learn about it, then leave it, so they can help others understand and enjoy it.

Help young adults learn English

If you're in Luang Prabang, you can help young adults with English conversation practice.

Other volunteering at our office and shop

Coming to our English practice is usually the best way to help when you're in Laos. We often hear from travelers who would like to volunteer in other ways. We appreciate the interest and support. But our language, culture, and ways of doing things are probably quite different from what you're used to. The suggestions above are the best ways to help. We occasionally do need volunteers for special projects. These situations change frequently and are posted in our Luang Prabang office; we regret that are not able to answer inquiries or discuss volunteer opportunities by email.