Here's a book review for a couple of good causes -- kids and Habitat For Humanity.

Dewey Doo-It, the big-nosed character with a heart twice as large, takes up the cause of housing the needy in the latest of a growing Doo-It line of kid's books, Dewey Doo-It Builds A House: A Children's Story About Habitat For Humanity ($17.95, RandallFraser Publishing).

The story casts Dewey this time in the role of rescuer when he learns his friend Zoe lives in a drafty old house that leaks when it rains.

"Even the paint isn't working anymore," Dewey sighs at the sight of chipping paint and general disrepair.

In terms kids can understand, a story unfolds about a structurally unsafe home that collapses under attempts to repair it.

Rebuilding is the obvious solution and Dewey gathers his tool belt and his gang Howie Doo-it, Woody Doo-it, and others to go to work.

Word gets out and before long an army of Doo-its likewise join the effort and build homes for others in need throughout the region.

The charming story, and others like it, all of which lend themselves to retelling in the oral tradition, is illustrated in the colors of life by Walt Disney illustrator alumnae Jean Gillmore (Bug's Life, Toy Story, The Lion King). Authors are Disney alumni Brahm Wenger (Air Bud score composer) who is also a composer and lyricist for Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen films; and Alan Green, creator of the Amazing Advantage for Kids video series and winner of the Parent's Choice Award.

Based in Irvine, CA the The Doo-its Project, founded by the trio, develops books and other children's entertainment products to tell stories about people who recognize need and respond unselfishly. Dewey's efforts have included assisting a friend in a wheelchair, heading a food drive and opening an after school activities center.

Dewey Doo-It Builds A House was inspired by the efforts of Millard and Linda Fuller, founders of Habitat for Humanity International, and their staunchest supporters, former President Jimmy Carter, and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

Banking on sweat equity, volunteer labor, donations, affordable loans, and business, private and public support, Habitat has remodeled or constructed and sold -- profit-free -- tens of thousands of homes around the world in an effort to provide decent housing for those in need.

A special $29.95 red gift-box version of Dewey Builds A House comes with crayons and a coloring book. All royalties go to Habitat and in a single month, the gift generated $10,000 for Habitat.

Home builders, including John Laing Homes, a National Association of Home Builders Builder of the Year, and Taylor Woodrow Homes, are giving the book as a house-warming gift to every one of their buyers.

The Doo-it Project's Habitat book effort is a natural cause for other builders and real estate industry companies to join.

And, of course, housing-related philanthropy doesn't have to be limited to the real estate industry.

Published: December 22, 2004

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Broderick Perkins parlayed a career in old-school journalism into a contemporary digital news service that really hits home. The award-winning consumer journalist, originally from Wilmington, DE, is founder, publisher and executive editor of the bootstrap DeadlineNews Group, a Silicon Valley-based editorial content and consulting service specializing in residential real estate, consumer news and related editorial consulting services. The DeadlineNews Group includes the website, DeadlineNews.com, offering real estate editorial content and consulting services, and its back shop, the Deadline Newsroom, an open house on news that really hits home. Perkins obtained his formal journalism education from University of Delaware and a journalism boot camp, the Institute of Journalism Education at the University of California-Berkeley. He went on to 20 years of service as a daily newspaper journalist at the Wilmington, DE News Journal and San Jose, CA Mercury News. Perkins covered housing on the San Jose Mercury News reporting team which earned a General News Reporting Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. He has also produced real estate, consumer and small business content for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, RealtyTimes.com, Nolo.com, Better Homes and Gardens, the National Association of Realtors, Homestore/Move and Intuit/Quicken among more than three dozen publications. In addition to managing the DeadlineNews Group, Perkins most recently served as chief editorial consultant for Nolo's Essential Guide To Buying Your First Home, Nolo, and writes real estate television scripts for RealtyTimes.com.