NORWALK, Conn., June 27, 2007 – Among children ages one to four years-old, drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death. Stew and Kim Leonard know this tragic statistic all too well, after losing their 21-month old son in a drowning accident in 1989. In 1990, they formed a foundation in their son’s name, which has raised more than one million dollars to fund swim scholarships and purchase water safety equipment.

In 2002, the Leonard’s wrote a story book aimed at reaching children directly with important water safety messages. Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim won the National Water Safety Youth Education Award from the National Water Safety Congress and is used in water safety courses throughout the country, such as the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Water Watchers program, and the Rialto Fire Department, who have reached more than 5,600 first graders as part of their Drowning Prevention program. More than 40,000 books have been sold, with all proceeds from going to water safety programs and providing swimming lesson scholarships.

"More than 13,000 Stewie the Duck books have been distributed in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. Not only do these states have some of the highest drowning rates in the U.S., but they also are the states with the largest Hispanic population," said Stew Leonard, Jr. "According to the US Census Bureau, there are 31 million Hispanic children in the United States who speak Spanish at home. Between these statistics and the requests we received to offer a Spanish language version of Stewie the Duck, we know we can help save lives."

El Patito Stewie Aprende a Nadar (Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim) is a child’s first guide to water safety. Written for children ages two through six, the book conveys an important message of how to be safe near the water through the story of Stewie, a duck who wants to swim with the ‘big ducks,’ but is prevented from going in the water by his older sisters until he learns the water safety rules.

Stewie learns the three main rules of water safety -- learn to swim, always wear a life vest and having a grown-up watch you in the pool -- that is reinforced through a song sung to the tune of "Arroz Con Leche," a popular Spanish nursery rhyme.

"We hope parents will enjoy reading El Patito Stewie Aprende a Nadar as much as their children," said Kim Leonard. "It is so important for parents to teach their children about water safety. Everyone needs to remember that whenever there is water, never take your eyes off your child."

El Patito Stewie Aprende a Nadar is available for $4.95 and can be ordered on www.stewietheduck.com or www.amazon.com. It is also available at Stew Leonard’s grocery stores in Norwalk, Newington and Danbury, CT and Yonkers, NY.