NORWALK, CONN., March 29, 2005 – Sixteen years after losing their 21-month old son to a drowning accident, Kim and Stew Leonard, Jr. are doubling their efforts to help educate parents and children about the importance of water safety. On May 1 the Leonard’s release their second children’s book -- Swimming Lessons with Stewie the Duck (Kimberly Press, ISBN: 0-9668611-3-2; $9.95 hardcover with 32 pages plus illustrations by Vicky Lowe and narrated CD.) The book, written for children ages two through seven, addresses the skills and fears children face when they first start taking swimming lessons. Swimming Lessons with Stewie the Duck is available through www.stewietheduck.com or www.amazon.com and at Stew Leonard’s grocery stores in Norwalk and Danbury, Connecticut and Yonkers, NY.

About Swimming Lessons with Stewie the Duck
When young readers first met Stewie the Duck, he was prevented from swimming with the ‘big ducks’ until he learned the water safety rules -- learn to swim, always wear a life vest and have a grown-up watch you in the pool. Swimming Lessons with Stewie the Duck opens with Stewie asking his mom if he can take swimming lessons now that he knows the water safety rules. New characters Avery the Otter, Cameron the Frog, Hunter the Puppy and Susannah the Swan, along with Swim Coach Rob, encompass Stewie’s swim class, and together they help each other pass the swim test and receive a coveted ‘safe swimmer’ medal. The lessons are reinforced with a new song the children learn – "It’s Fun at Swimming School" – sung to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

"In the process of writing the book, we contacted swim coaches and asked them to identify the most important steps for beginning swimmers, and what some of the biggest barriers are for children in learning how to swim. We address these in three easy lessons Stewie and his swim class learn and also how they overcome children’s biggest fear – putting their head in the water," says Stew Leonard, Jr. "When most kids fall into the water, they panic and inhale, so the first lesson teaches them to blow bubbles out of their nose. Next, Stewie’s swim class learns to roll onto their back and float. Learning this skill can mean the difference between life and death. The last lesson addressed in the book is kicking, so a child can get to the side of the pool or shore safely."

The Leonard's first book, Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim, received a National Water Safety Youth Education Award from the National Water Safety Congress, and is used in water safety courses throughout the country, including the Phoenix Children's Hospital Water Watchers program. More than 30,000 copies of the book have been sold, with all proceeds from both books going to water safety programs and providing swimming lesson scholarships.

About the Authors
While on a family vacation in the Caribbean in 1989, Kim and Stew Leonard’s 21-month old son, Stew Leonard III (affectionately known as Stewie), ventured into the pool unnoticed. Within minutes, a house-wide search ensued when a yellow T-shirt was spotted floating in the pool. Stew’s dad dove in, quickly got him out of the water and immediately began performing CPR. But it was too late.

The Leonard’s were in shock, wondering how this could have happened. They later learned that drowning is the leading cause of death in children under five years old, and 80 percent of children under four drown in residential swimming pools. Approximately 75% of drownings occur under a brief lapse of parental supervision, usually less than five minutes.

Stew and Kim founded the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation in 1990 to help promote water safety awareness. In the course of reaching out to parents, the Leonard’s were surprised to learn that there was little information about water safety that was geared to children under five years old. That's when they decided to create "Stewie the Duck" – a loveable character who children could help make wearing a life vest cool for children and encourage them to learn how to swim.

The Leonard's have been recognized for their efforts on behalf of water safety with a USA Swimming Safety Commendation from USA Swimming; a Regional Award from the National Water Safety Congress; and the Heroes Award from the Fairfield County Red Cross chapter.

About the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation
The Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation was founded in 1990 with the mission to save lives through water safety education and awareness for both children and adults. The Foundation provides scholarships for swimming lessons and safety equipment through local YMCAs and Swim America, a nationally certified learn to swim program offered by the American Swimming Coaches Association. Since 1990, the Foundation has helped more than 10,000 children learn to swim.

For more information on the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation and Stewie the Duck books and video, please visit www.stewietheduck.com