Shellie Braeuner, a nanny for four in Nashville, Tennessee, was washing the family dog when she came up with an idea for a story: the Great Dog Wash. After putting pen to paper, she submitted her story to the Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® Children’s Book Contest.

Nearly 1,000 entries and three rounds of judging later – the first, conducted by First Book Advisory Boards across the country – we are delighted to announce that Ms. Braeuner is the winner of the first-ever Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Children’s Book Contest.

Ms. Braeuner’s prize included $5,000 and the chance to have her story reviewed by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Even better, Simon & Schuster has agreed to publish Ms. Braeuner’s story. They have already paired her with an editor as well as illustrator Robert Neubecker. The Great Dog Wash will be made available in paperback inside Cheerios boxes in Spring 2009 and through booksellers in Summer 2009.

Cheerios also named two first prize winners, who will receive $1,000 each from Cheerios: Kate Heilman, 35, of Chicago, for her story, Theo the T-Rex: The Most Terrible Dinosaur in the Neighborhood, and Alison Anderson, 33, of Cumberland, Wisc., for Sleepy Song. Both are currently featured online at www.spoonfulsofstories.com.

For the last six years, through the Spoonfuls of Stories® program, Cheerios has given away more than 30 million children’s books free inside cereal boxes, and donated more than $2.5 million to First Book.

We, at First Book, extend our warmest thanks to everyone who entered, as well as to our wonderful Advisory Board volunteers for their assistance. Don’t forget to stay tuned for information about next year’s Children’s Book Contest, when the search for the next great children’s book author continues! To learn more, please visit: www.spoonfulsofstories.com.