Brown v. Board book planned

New York — Nobel laureate Toni Morrison is working on a children’s book about Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling against segregation.

“Remember: A Pictorial Tribute to the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Decision” will be published in 2004, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the court’s unanimous order for public schools to be integrated.

“Ms. Morrison has collected a treasure chest of archival black-and-white photographs that depict the historical events surrounding the Supreme Court case and school desegregation,” publisher Houghton Mifflin said recently.

Ricky Martin goes botanical

Singapore — The Singapore Tourism Board honored Ricky Martin by naming a yellow orchid speckled with crimson spots after him.

“Hello, sexy, how are you?” the 31-year-old singer asked the dainty flower during the naming ceremony Friday at Singapore’s downtown Botanical Gardens. “You’re supposed to talk to your plants, right?”

The Renaglottis Ricky Martin is a hybrid of the Renanthera bella and Trichoglottis loheriana species, both indigenous to Southeast Asia, the tourism board said. It produces small star-shaped flowers year-round.

Osmond family receives star

Los Angeles — It was a family affair as the Osmonds received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The star, located on Hollywood Boulevard near La Brea Avenue, honors siblings Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and Jimmy Osmond for their decades of work in entertainment.

“I’ve never really known a family as talented,” singer Andy Williams said Thursday after introducing the honorees. “They’re like sponges.”

“Sharing this star with family says a lot,” said Donny Osmond, who wore a neck brace because of an injury he suffered while surfing in Hawaii.

Thalia hooks up with Kmart

Miami — Mexican singer-actress Thalia is trying for a hit — in the fashion world.

She launched Kmart’s Thalia Sodi collection Wednesday at a store here. The line will include women’s clothing, accessories, footwear, eyeglasses, linens and home furnishings.

The collection is one of several commercial projects that she has in mind. “Since I was little I’ve had that vision of a businesswoman inside me,” she said.

Financial terms of her Kmart contract weren’t disclosed. Distribution is to extend to 335 stores.