Meet our staff
A new career for an old publisher
Sasha Alyson, our token blond (or is it gray?), was born in the United States. He now spends most of his time in Laos as the volunteer advisor for Big Brother Mouse, where he and Khamla bring together their complementary skills to form the management team.
In first grade, Sasha had trouble learning to read and didn't particularly want to; the school was using a dull series called Alice and Jerry. Then his parents brought home The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss, and he quickly became an avid reader. That experience shaped his belief that learning to read can be fun, and should be fun. The Dr. Seuss Beginner books have provided inspiration for a number of our books, in which we've used the underlying concepts of the original books, while applying Lao experiences and words. These include the two books mentioned above, New, Improved Buffalo, and Tha Thao's Picture Dictionary.
On his first visit to Luang Prabang he was struck by the absence of any books in Lao. That's when he first got the idea for Big Brother Mouse, although it took almost three years of planning, preparation, and discussions before any books appeared. His only regret, Sasha says, is that he didn't come to Laos sooner. |