Lisa Saunders Publishes "Once Upon a Placemat: A Table Setting Tale" to Stop Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Mother and daughter collaborate to teach table-setting and germ prevention through the book, “Once Upon a Placemat: A Table Setting Tale.” The illustrator designed a free placemat for downloading and coloring. A child in their family was born severely disabled by congenital CMV because the mother wasn't aware of CMV and the precautions to take.

Mystic, CT, February 14, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Lisa Saunders of Mystic wrote a table-setting fairytale to teach children how to set the table in a fun and memorable way. Her daughter, Jackie Tortora of Virginia, co-authored “Once Upon a Placemat: A Table Setting Tale,” which includes germ prevention tips against viruses spread through saliva such as congenital (meaning present at birth) cytomegalovirus (CMV), the leading viral cause of birth defects according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About the book: When a young girl can't remember how to set the table, her grandmother teaches her to listen to the silverware. Learn why the table is set the way it is. Why does the knife keep a sharp eye on the plate? Why does the fork want a napkin bed and the cup insist she and the others get a bath before being shared? “Once Upon a Placemat ” is an expanded version of the fairytale Saunders told in her children’s novel, “Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator,” featured in Cornell University's “Horse Book in a Bucket Program.”

“Once Upon a Placemat finally accomplished what we could not--getting our kids to remember how to correctly set the table! Now, I hear my 12-year-old saying to herself, 'Mr. Knife stands between Mrs. Spoon and Mr. Plate. Mr. Knife keeps his eyes and teeth toward Mr. Plate because he doesn’t trust him since there was that time the dish ran away with the spoon.' What a brilliant extension to an old nursery rhyme. ‘Once Upon a Placemat’ will also help your kids better understand the importance of washing their hands before meals and not sharing dishes. Short story--big impact. Finally, a story that sticks!” said Dr. Rebecca Cihocki, an audiologist in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Lisa Saunders is an award-winning writer living and parent representative of the Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Foundation. In 2015, she was in instrumental in helping Connecticut enact Public Act 15-10: An Act Concerning Cytomegalovirus.

“Once Upon a Placemat” co-author, Jackie Tortora, is a digital strategist living with her husband and their young son in Vienna, Virginia. She created the title, cover illustration, and additions to the tableware characters in 1999 when she was 12 years old.

“Once Upon a Placemat” is illustrated by Marianne Greiner of Bloomfield, New York. She designed a free placemat for downloading and coloring.

Learn more about “Once Upon a Placemat: A Table Setting Tale” visit: www.authorlisasaunders.com or www.facebook.com/onceuponaplacemat/.
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Lisa Saunders
860-245-5635
www.authorlisasaunders.com
P.O Box 389, Mystic, CT 06355
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