Guest Post from Janelle Diller and Pack-n-Go Girls®
::Big sigh:: The world has changed—we hope just temporarily. But here we are. No travel. Extra days out of school. Uncertain times. Thank goodness for books to distract us! We have some great multicultural recommendations to pass the time and expand your children’s world.
Hopefully, your library has them, but if not, Amazon still delivers to your door. We hope.
Multicultural Book Recommendations for World Travel
The Breaking News Written and Illustrated by Sarah Lynne Reul
Bad news breaks and a young girl tries to make sense of it. A gray cloud slips over the family and the community. The parents are sad and distracted. “Suddenly Mom is glued to the television. Dad can’t stop checking his phone. They whisper and I pretend not to hear.” The mother even forgets to tuck the girl into bed at night. Her schoolmates feel the weight of the bad news, too.
This isn’t a random bedtime story to read to a sleepy three-year-old. Even though the sparse text and picture book format implies a preschool audience, the subject matter and treatment could be unsettling for a young child who didn’t have a context for the theme. In this current environment, it can be a powerful conversation starter for preschoolers through early elementary children.
My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder Written and Illustrated by Nie Jun; Translated by Edward Gauvin
Whether you’re eight or eighty, My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder is perfect for an afternoon of contemplating. What’s real? What’s a dream? What’s magic? The four stories give readers plenty of moments to use their own imagination.
Nie Jun wrote and illustrated the stories in comic book style, but don’t be misled. This is not your father’s comic book of bold lines and dramatic primary colors (washed out by the printing process and cheap paper). This is a book of art. Each page presents multiple frames of the story, all done in pastel watercolors and ink lines. They’re rich in detail and action.
Penguin Days Written by Sara Leach; Illustrated by Rebecca Bender
Penguin Days takes the reader on a journey. In the second book in this endearing series by Sara Leach, Lauren and her family travel to Lincoln, North Dakota, so Lauren can be the flower girl in her auntie Joss’ wedding. It takes Lauren’s family “two days, eight movies, four chapter books, and three throw-ups” to get to their destination. This is perhaps as good of a time as any to stop and ponder how many children’s books take place in North Dakota.
Zero? That’s the common answer.
So here’s the first clue to the nature of this book: Penguin Days is not common. And that’s its gift. Lauren, the protagonist, has ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, which means her brain works differently than other people’s brains. The book is filled with gentle humor, which helps the reader appreciate Lauren’s perspective while at the same time doesn’t sugar coat life with a child with ASD. The family drives to North Dakota because the last time they traveled there, they flew, and as Lauren notes, “[N]obody wanted to live through the experience of flying with me again.”
Penguin Days provides learning of the most important kind and has an added bonus of sweet humor, age-appropriate text, and engaging illustrations. It belongs on the shelf of every library for young readers.
Big Problemas Written and Illustrated by Juana Medina
In Big Problemas, written and illustrated by Juana Medina, Juana and Lucas return in a second romp through the world of this delightful young Colombian and her dog, Lucas.
Juana’s life is just about perfect—but it’s about to become just a little less perfect. Her first clue is that her mami has a new hairdo. At first, Juana thinks she’s just gotten into the wrong car after school, but when Juana tells her mami that she liked her mami’s old hair better, her mami isn’t too happy about her comment. “That’s when I knew I was in the right car with the right Mami, just not with the right hairdo.” And that’s when the reader realizes that this is going to be fun.
This engaging story with endearing characters and a gentle touch on the larger themes of loss and change make for a valuable read.
Small Mercies Written by Bridget Krone; Illustrated by Karen Vermeulen
Mercy steals the reader’s heart from the very first page. Although more accurately, it’s Mercy’s eccentric foster aunts who do the initial stealing. Their quirky excuse notes—one says Mercy has “the collywobbles,” another that she has “a dicky tummy,” and on another that she can’t participate in inter-house cross-country because she “has a bone in her leg”—let the reader know some sweet humor is ahead.
Small Mercies carries the reader to South Africa. One of the benefits for the North American audience is that the reader realizes that, yes, there are unfamiliar differences between the two places, but even more important, the similarities are even greater. Take away the African cultures and replace them with familiar American cultures, and the classroom is the same. Children can be kind and can be cruel; they can stress out about school expectations, and the worries they have about their home life travel with them into the classroom.
Karen Vermeulen’s simple line drawings complement Krone’s text with appropriate whimsy. The short chapters are a nice treat for the reading level, particularly since the themes have a depth to them that takes some reflecting. Krone notes that her “favorite stories are those that, just when you expect a lesson, sing a song instead.” Small Mercies is just that surprising song, full of light and sweetness. Readers will carry the melody in their hearts long after the last page is turned.
If you’re looking for travel adventure mysteries, Pack-n-Go Girls will take you there. Snuggle up with spooky stories that take readers to haunted castles in Austria, catch thieves in Mexico, save dolphins and turtles in Brazil, search for lost golden temples in Thailand, and chase aliens in Australia. It’s the cheapest way to travel to the other side of the world, and you can do it by paperback, ebook, or audiobook!
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Writing was my first connection to creative expression. I have always been fascinated at how words strung together in a story can awaken one’s imaginations while inspiring us to live a better life.
life wouldn’t be again the same. The negro roving seller is the unexpected dream of the hard reality, which she should face. Being confused between two worlds, she must make a decision about her life. However, she ignores that fate has dark plans for her. Years later, when her son refuses her love and her grand daughter’s life will be in danger because of the bombing substances, a young negro appears again in her life to show her that the past is still alive and the old wrong actions are waiting for their justification. “Between two worlds” is a romantic and middle-grade book for children aged 10+ and teens alike.
Peggy Fourka is no stranger to children’s publishing. She has illustrated more than 200 books and has written a number of children’s fictional stories, including “Adventures on the Island of Bullies,” which was a best-seller in Greece and Cyprus and was produced into a theatrical play in 2015. The book and musical taught children about friendship, love, and respect. Fourka’s latest book “Heaven’s Alphabet”, also published by Psichogios Publications, focused on the alphabet through Christian faith. In 2018, Fourka fulfilled another passion when she started teaching Byzantine Iconography to children. Mrs. Fourka and her husband Michael, enjoy spending time with their 9-year-old son, George, who is not only the artist’s inspiration but brings the color into her life.
Demetra Socratous is a primary school teacher, a drama facilitator, a human rights and peace trainer. She has obtained her degree in the Science of Education and a minor degree in French Studies from the University of Cyprus (2004). She received a Master’s degree in Drama and Theatre in Education (University of Warwick, 2007) and a second Master’s degree in Arts and Culture Management (Rome Business School, 2017). She was the Coordinator of the ‘Youth and Culture’ Workshop of Pafos 2017 Cultural Capital of Europe, as well as the co-Coordinator of the Cyprus Youth Network of the European Cultural Parliament. A short video on her voluntary work has been posted on the European website for the European Year of Volunteerism 2011.
alone and at last to realize by herself that we must accept the responsibilities. We should correct our mistakes with the same magic way that we may play with the stars one night. A beautiful little girl, good and strange, learns that the sky has his own rules in order the day to follow the night, the sun to follow the moon and we should enjoy their colors in any case. The fairytale ” Polichromes Haroumenes Steges ” Published for the first time in 2018 from Anatypo Publishers, in Thessaloniki. Mrs. Vaso Katsarelia writes fairytale and poems since she was a child. She has received numerous awards in literature competitions. Her big love for the books motivates her driving force for all that she makes.
illustrator’s amazing work, Athena Petouli, who treated the lyrics in such a way, giving life to them. The writer is also lucky for having such a talented illustrator to make her treasure, shine through the illustrations.
When you must talk to kids for letters, you need a different way to use, ore playful so as to attract their interest. In this book, there is an innovative scheme. The alphabet letters come alive, become persons, have a certain job that starts with the same letter, the letters have things to do, they have their own life.
letters of the Greek Alphabet, contributing to the learning process with their joyful lines.
Demetra Socratous is a primary school teacher, a drama facilitator, a human rights and peace trainer. She has obtained her degree in the Science of Education and a minor degree in French Studies from the University of Cyprus (2004). She received a Master degree in Drama and Theatre in Education (University of Warwick, 2007) and a second Master degree in Arts and Culture Management (Rome Business School, 2017). Demetra is a youth leader and active member of various socio-cultural organisations. She was the Coordinator of the ‘Youth and Culture’ Workshop of Pafos 2017 Cultural Capital of Europe, as well as the co-Coordinator of the Cyprus Youth Network of the European Cultural Parliament. A short video on her voluntary work has been posted on the European website for the European Year of Volunteerism 2011. She is currently a Heritage Youth Ambassador of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage. She writes tales, short stories and poetry, which have received prizes both in Greece and Cyprus. She published three children books: “Mary and the White Pea” (on child cancer); the poetry collection “Truths, Dreams and Peace” (nominated for the Cyprus National Children Literature Award 2017; awarded by the Cyprus IBBY 2016), “Dad in a Cage” (on parental imprisonment).
This book can help children, parents, and teachers build a new perspective and find the heroes of the book inside them.
Despina, Marios, Maria, Panagiotis, Panagiota, Vangelis, Evangelia, Myrto, travel with their family to Tinos. As it is usually the case, they meet each other on their way there. At first, they talk about the seagulls, the pigeons and the wonderful pigeon cotes of the island of the Virgin Mary, Tinos. Following the statement of Panagiotis that he has only heard his teacher talk about the Virgin Mary, the other children start telling 
him what they know about the Mother of our Lord.
grandeur and beauty.
Epi N Michi-Zeggou was born in 1969 in Larissa, Greece. Mother of three, she is a veterinary surgeon. She entered the world of writing with her essay “Journey into the World of Dementia” written in her father’s memory as an effort to help inform people and support families experiencing the problem of dementia. On the occasion of this essay, she presented a paper in the 9th Panhellenic Congress of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (Thessaloniki, May 2015) entitled Dementia as Seen through the Perspective of the Caregiver. The rights of the essay have been conceded by the author to the Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders “Alzheimer Hellas”. She has also established an online support team for patients with dementia
A doll will be the companion of a child on the road of the forced and violent escape from his homeland. At the most difficult time, in the middle of the turbulent sea, the doll falls into the waves to save her friend from the dragon of the sea bottom. In the
On the occasion of a cheerful dialogue between a bat and an owl, which live in the Monastery of Agia Anastasia, Farmakolytria, the yarn of glorious Greek history during the time of Alexander the Great, spins. We also get to know religious personalities whose lives and unwavering faith have given courage to thousands of people over the centuries, and even up to the modern era. We as readers become one with the dozens of families who visit the Monastery 
From one moment to another, unexpected great joy”! It’s a poetic collection addressed to preschool and school-aged children. Mr. Theofanis Theofanous using the haiku technique in an intelligent and playful way helps children to understand and love poetry! Drawing themes from the natural environment he drags us into a joyful fist! Riding on a bicycle we travel to a fantastic seacoast, we take rabbits out of our hats lying on a pillow that leads us to the moon! While from grandmother’s pot the smell of cinnamon, sugar and pumpkin scents the whole place! We hear the cats jumping on the covers hunting mice while we drink orange juice on the terrace counting stars. Witches and elves are thrown out of the books and swallows, dolphins bats and canaries complete the party. Lavender scatters its aroma and a daisy brings dew drops to the bees. A rose, a poppy, and a jasmine flower teach us the alphabet’s love. In this crazy dance, ants follow beating the tambourine
Agatha Rodi is not only a long-time supporter and ambassador for Multicultural Children’s Book Day, but she is also a Global CoHost!
