Publication Delayed Again for First Lady's White House Kitchen Garden Book, "American Grown"

First Lady Michelle Obama's forthcoming book America Grown, about her signature project, the White House Kitchen Garden, has been delayed for a second time, a spokesman for the publisher told Obama Foodorama. The book will now be released on May 29th, rather than the previously announced date of May 1.

Originally scheduled to be released on April 10th, 2012, in January of this year Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, changed the publication date for the first time, citing production delays, and announced a change for the book's subtitle, too.

"We want to make sure it is as beautiful as possible," said Crown spokesman Tammy Blake about the new publication date. She again cited production delays as the reason.

The 256-page hardcover edition will sell for $30 in the US market, and Blake said an enhanced e-book edition will also be released on May 29. Archival photos of the First Lady and visitors to the Kitchen Garden being used for the book were still being gathered by the book's art director in mid-February, though photos taken exclusively for the project by lensman Quentin Bacon were shot throughout Kitchen garden harvest and planting events in 2011. Bacon photographed Mrs. Obama for the book jacket last May.

The book's subtitle is now "The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America," changed from the original "How the White House Kitchen Garden Inspires Families, Schools and Communities." In her first outing as an author, Mrs. Obama will describe how daughters Malia, now 13, and Sasha, now 10, "were the catalysts for change for their family's eating behavior which inspired her national initiative to address childhood obesity and resulted in the idea to plant a vegetable garden on the South Lawn," according to Crown.

"This book is going to be beautiful and amazing," Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass said recently. "Full of recipes, and how-to tips about how to plant a garden, how to plant a children's garden, how to do it on your windowsill, how to do it on your back porch...in your a backyard...in a school."

"It's going to be a great tool but also a great visual and a great story."

First Lady will donate proceeds to unnamed charities...
Mrs. Obama "accepted no advance for the book and will donate all net or after-tax author proceeds to a charity or charities to be named later," Crown said when first announcing the project in March of 2011. "Random House, Inc. will also make a donation to an appropriate charity to be named later."

The names of the First Lady's "charity or charities" have not yet been announced, and Mrs. Obama's Press Secretary, Hannah August, told Obama Foodorama that there is not yet a date when this information will be revealed. She also said she could not specify details about whether or not Mrs. Obama will go on an author tour to promote the book this summer.

Crown is the publisher of President Obama’s two national bestselling memoirs, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope. Bob Barnett, a Washington, DC powerbroker who is a partner at Williams & Connolly, is the high-powered attorney who represents President Obama for his book deals, and he made the American Grown deal for Mrs. Obama, too.

Exclusive details on the project and the previously planned marketing campaign are here. These were originally pegged to a release in advance of Mother's Day 2012.

UPDATE: The First Lady will replant the Kitchen Garden for Spring on Monday, March 26th, joined by students from four states and DC.

*Book jacket photo courtesy of Crown Publishing Group. Photo of Mrs. Obama in the Kitchen Garden by Eddie Gehman Kohan/Obama Foodorama.

Publication Pushed To May For First Lady Michelle Obama's New Book "American Grown"

Publisher cites production issues and a different cover: Mrs. Obama's book about gardening and healthy eating has a new subtitle, too...
First Lady Michelle Obama's inspiring book about the White House Kitchen Garden, American Grown, will be published on May 1 rather than its previously announced date of April 10, according to a spokesman from Crown Publishing Group. The lavishly photographed book, which includes personal stories and recipes, also has a new subtitle: "The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America." Above, the new book jacket, with the new subtitle.

The original subtitle was "How the White House Kitchen Garden inspires families, schools and communities." Crown spokesman Tammy Blake said "the new subtitle reflects a collaboration between the author and the publisher." The book was first announced in March of 2011, at the time allowing just 13 months to the project's debut. Pushing the publication date by three weeks is due to production issues, according to Blake.

"The production process for this beautifully illustrated four-color book took a little longer than anticipated," Blake said.

The photographic efforts to document Mrs. Obama working in her garden for American Grown began the day the book was announced, and included Mrs. Obama's most recent Fall Harvest event in 2011. Acclaimed food/lifestyle lensman Quentin Bacon got the assignment, which included battling 100 degree heat during the May 30 cover shoot with Mrs. Obama. Bacon's work has appeared in celebrity chefs' bestsellers, including books by Mario Batali and Ina Garten. (Above: Bacon with Mrs. Obama during a photo session for the book)

"We are very pleased to be able to publish it in advance of Mother's Day," Blake said of American Grown.

Crown has pegged part of its major promotional sales push for the First Lady's first outing as an author to Mother's Day, touting it as "the perfect gift" to book sellers. The publisher has promised author appearances to promote the book, but neither the White House nor Crown will confirm where or if these will occur. Promotional efforts will include social media, TV, print ads, and author interviews. The 256-page hardcover will sell for $30 in the US market.

Mrs. Obama took no advance for the book, and will donate her proceeds to an unnamed charity, according to Crown. (Above: The now collectible cover art released by Crown in October of 2011, with the old subtitle)

Mrs. Obama will appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Tuesday, Jan. 31, and NBC announced that she will be talking about the book. It is one of three TV appearances for Mrs. Obama this week, ahead of the two-year anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign.

*Cover art courtesy of Crown Publishing; Bacon photo from Quentin Bacon

First Lady's "Tonight Show" Appearance Begins Promotional Efforts For New Gardening Book

First Lady Michelle Obama will kick off a national media campaign to promote her forthcoming book about the White House Kitchen Garden with a visit to NBC's Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Jan. 31. "American Grown," Mrs. Obama's first outing as an author, will be published in April. NBC said when announcing Mrs. Obama's appearance that she will discuss the book and the Let's Move! campaign; Mrs. Obama will embark on a three-day national tour to celebrate the second anniversary of her childhood obesity initiative starting on Feb. 9, with a visit to Des Moines, Iowa.

Mrs. Obama will also discuss life in the White House, according to the network, for her first appearance on The Tonight Show as First Lady. Mrs. Obama previously joined Leno in October of 2008 to discuss her husband's election campaign. NBC said Mrs. Obama's upcoming visit is the first for any First Lady on any late-night TV talk show, adding to her growing list of "firsts," including the gardening book.

Other promotional activities for Mrs. Obama's 256-page, $30 book, which will be released by Crown Publishing Group, will include a "Major national television campaign" and a "National and regional NPR [National Public Radio] campaign," as well as "National review and feature attention," according to the publisher. The advertising campaign will include announcement ads in the New York Times and Washington Post, and banner ads on major dot coms such as USAToday.com, as well as a social media campaign. Mrs. Obama joined Twitter on January 12. Her book deal was announced in March of 2011, after the Spring Planting of the now internationally famous Kitchen Garden.

Author Lyric Winik, known for helping craft bestselling memoirs for former First Lady Laura Bush and Sen. Scott Brown, has helped Mrs. Obama tell her story in "American Grown," and food/lifestyle photographer Quentin Bacon is responsible for the photos.

The President last visited Jay Leno right before Halloween, and his joking about the too-healthy contents of White House treat bags led to more candy being included in the bags doled out to kids for 2011's annual ghoulish celebration under the North Portico. In March of 2009 when he appeared on The Tonight Show, Mr. Obama became the first sitting US president to appear on any late night talk show. (Above: Mrs. Obama with Leno in 2008)

Mrs. Obama this month made her TV sitcom debut, appearing as herself on the popular Nickelodeon teen comedy "iCarly" in an episode created to honor military families. She's also cameo'd on a special White House edition of Iron Chef America, and appeared on Sesame Street in 2009 and, with her husband, she appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in May of 2011. Mrs. Obama is something of a regular on NBC's Today show.

*Cover photo by Crown; other courtesy of NBC