Reedy Press books celebrate the Missouri you never knew
Let’s face it: Missouri is a weird and wonderful state, with natural wonders, peculiar history, eccentric citizens and roadside attractions that rival those found just about anywhere. Since 2004, Reedy Press has celebrated that oddness through hundreds of equally unusual books.
“We’ve got a lot of the weird,” agrees Josh Stevens, owner of the St. Louis-based publisher. “We’ve covered everything you can imagine, but we still find things that are worthy of exploring.”
These include walking tour books, destination guides and food travel books tied to specific regions. Reedy Press published the definitive book on Missouri’s bicentennial. It also produced “Historic Missouri Roadsides,” a daily history lesson called “Missouri 365” and “Missouri Legends,” a collection of profiles on famous Missourians.
Other offerings include a book on Missouri weather events, the state’s natural wonders and numerous books covering every aspect of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Its “100 Things to Do Before You Die” series includes Lake of the Ozarks and Branson. There’s also a “Secret” series on obscure items of interest from a variety of places.
The latest Reedy Press offering sums up the type of books it is known for. “Missouri Weird & Wonderful” is a collection of the state’s most fascinating facts, presented in a graphic style that is just plain fun. Author Amanda Doyle teamed up with illustrator Dan Zettwoch to select the material and present it in a colorful and vibrant style that almost leaps off the pages.
Included are glimpses of Missouri firsts such as sliced bread, famous Missourians like George Washington Carver and natural features such as Johnson’s Shut-Ins. There’s even a page dedicated to wildlife like the lovable but en– dangered hellbender that seems to be everyone’s favorite.
The book’s intended audience is kids, but the goal is far-reaching and another mission of Reedy Press — making learning fun. “Schools are excited about the book because it can help them teach Missouri history in an entertaining way,” Josh says. “It’s a challenge to get kids to read anymore.”
Besides creating books that can serve as texts for students, Reedy Press goes further by doing presentations in schools and other places of learning based on its books. These often include an interactive game show with the kids as participants.
Way beyond these presentations was the Missouri Book Festival Josh co-organized in 2022. The real fun came from events tied to books. “We had done a book on Wrestling at the Chase. We had a wrestling event,” Josh says. “There was a book published by a circus company. So we had a circus performance. We had a Soap Box Derby tied to a book on the history of the automobile.”
If you think you know Missouri, take a look at the many offerings from Reedy Press. You’ll likely find there’s way more to the state than you thought.
You can find Reedy Press books online at here. The Missouri Book Festival returns Sept. 13-14, 2024, in Washington.