Blog - Multicultural Children's Book Day

Raising Race Conscious Children’s favorite diverse children’s books

December 16, 2018 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

Raising Race Conscious Children’s favorite children’s books…and what we say when we read them

by Sachi Feris and Lori Riddick

At Raising Race Conscious Children, people often ask us what exact words to use to talk about a variety of subjects around race and other identity-markers. We have created this post for Multicultural Children’s Book Day, sharing some of our favorite book titles along with the words we use when we read. That said, there is no one “right” thing to say. What we say will differ based on our children’s racial identities and interests—but we love to inspire adults to practice “the words they use” through the world of children’s literature. When we read a book dozens of times to a child, we can try on different words and engage in the practice of race consciousness.

Race Consciousness Book Picks

My Aunt Came Back by Pat Cummings

What we say when we read:

“I love how her aunt always has her hair in braids which is a really important part of our culture as Black people. I think she looks beautiful. And it reminds me how beautiful you look when you wear your hair in braids. I love how when the aunt goes to learn about another country and culture, she always brings something back for the little girl…but she also always keeps her hair in braids. I really like that she is proud of who she is and always remembers who she is because she keeps her hair in braids.”

-Lori

STRATEGY: Name race

Hello Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, illustrations by Chris Raschska

What we say when we read:

“This little kid if going to visit their grandma and grandpa…in our family, we call our grandparents Baba and Zedo….every family has different names for grandparents. This family calls them Nana and Poppy. And Nana has darker brown skin and Poppy has peachy skin, and the kid has skin that in between like we have different skin colors in our family.”

-Lori

STRATEGY: Name race

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy

What we say when we read:

“This is one of my favorite books from when I was little…but I didn’t remember that the character of Lisa was a girl with brown skin. When I was little, we didn’t really talk about skin color. And most of the books I had when I was little had characters with White skin. Sometimes when we read books at home, I notice that a lot of books still have more White characters which isn’t fair—so I really like to try to find books like Corduroy with characters who have brown skin.”

-Sachi

STRATEGY: Name Whitenes

Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Swimmy

What we say when we read:

“I wonder how Swimmy feels to be the only black fish…if I were Swimmy, I would feel proud because being the only black fish would make me special—but I also might sometimes want to find a friend who looked liked me.”

-Sachi

STRATEGY: Consider feelings

A Pig Is Moving In by Claudia Fries (Out of Print)

What we say when we read:

“It’s not very nice that the other animals are judging the pig and making assumptions about him before they even get to know him. They are stereotyping the pig—that’s when you say that ‘all pigs’ are a certain way without even getting to know him first.”

-Sachi

STRATEGY: Challenge stereotypes

Grandpa’s Corner Store by Dyanne Di Salvo

Grandpa's Corner Store (Hardcover)

“Sometimes, when a big, new store opens, the smaller stores in a neighborhood close, which means people might lose their jobs and have to move to a different neighborhood. This is really, really unfair.”

-Sachi

STRATEGY: Fairness/Unfairnes

We March by Shane W. Evans

We March

What we say when we read:

“Bum, Bum, Bum, that’s the sound of people marching. The men in this picture are really important leaders who worked to make things fair for people of all different skin colors. (There are also a lot of women who worked to make things fair, but they’re not in this picture.) There were White men (and women) and Black men (and women) who worked together to make things fairer.”

-Lori

STRATEGY: Take action for change

About Raising Race Conscious Children

Bloggers, workshop facilitators and moms, Lori Taliaferro Riddick and Sachi Feris created Raising Race Conscious Children as a way to support parents and teachers who are trying to talk about race and diversity with young children. The goal of these conversations is to prepare young people to work toward racial justice. If we commit to collectively trying to talk about race with young children, we can lean on one another for support as we, together, envision a world where we actively challenge racism each and every day. Many of the blog’s posts are geared toward White people but a community of guest bloggers that represent diverse backgrounds and the strategies discussed may be helpful for all.

Each post models conversations that are transparent, concrete, and non-judgmental. Additional issues will be addressed that often intersect with race including class, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, etc.

Connect with Lori and Sachi via Facebook G+, and Twitter.

When the Majority Remains the Minority in Children’s Books

December 13, 2018 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

{Guest Post by Author Sonia Panigrahy}

On a Saturday afternoon, I found myself rushing through Manhattan in preparation for a trip to Chicago to visit my best friend. I was searching for a gift for her five-year-old daughter. I opened the doors to a lovely two-storied children’s bookstore. I skimmed the shelves and struggled to find a book with a main female character that was not a princess. Seeking the help of an employee, I request a girl’s adventure book. She pulled out a book and described the plot, prompting me to purchase the book without having the time to read it. I figured the little girl and I would read it for the first time together in Chicago.

We were in our pajamas in Chicago on the sofa as I cracked open this new adventure story. The main character has a dream where an adventure awaits her. I turn the pages to find that the adventure involves the main female character cleaning and cooking. What struck me in a very painful way was that no adventure book for boys would include cleaning and cooking. Why is it that children’s books are delineated into boys’ vs. girls’ stories that restrict what they can and cannot become? Why don’t books have storylines where pronouns can be interchangeable so that kids can just be kids?

This was memorably the last straw on the camel’s back. I had been brewing the idea of creating a children’s book with a young female superhero as the lead protagonist that I could not find. In the United States, half the population is female and in 2015, more than half of children ages 5 and younger are children of color. Yet, large portions of our population are excluded from the literature. There are statistics that prove this, but one simply has to browse the bookshelves of a library or store, or review bestseller lists to see that white boys and inanimate objects dominate storylines. Lee & Low published an article stating that in 2015, only 14% of books feature multi-cultural content. Children learn about the world around them by reading books, yet through characters that don’t reflect them. If children learn about a world that does not look like them, children feel the world does not see them. Not being seen is not being valued nor viewed as the norm. They need to see themselves in books.

While knowing that my main character needed to be a female to fill the gender void, I could not decide on the race of the character. All non-white children are under-represented and misrepresented in children’s books. I asked my illustrator, Hazel Quintanilla, to help by providing some sketches of character options. I instantly connected with the character you see in my book, Nina the Neighborhood Ninja (Spanish version available: Nina la Ninja del Vecindario).

To my surprise, children have shown their open minds by having a flexible interpretation of Nina’s race.

The fact the book is available in Spanish, enables households that speak or wish to speak Spanish the opportunity to build bilingual literacy and demonstrates an acceptance of non-English languages in the United States. What matters is that readers of all backgrounds find Nina as a relatable and inspiring role model. Parents of all genders and races tell me that their children aim to be like Nina. Through better stories, we can teach all children to include one other, helping them to adapt as global citizens in a multi-cultural society.

About SONIA PANIGRAHY

Author Sonia Panigrahy (Pah-Nee-Grah-Hee), is a public health professional, world traveler, adventure seeker, and fitness enthusiast. Her motto is that life is too short to be bored!

Nina the Neighborhood Ninja was created out of Sonia’s lifelong love of reading. As her family and friends begin to have children, she looked forward to sharing this love with them. She believes that books are a powerful way to empower impressionable young minds.

Sonia was surprised that she could not find books for kids ages 3-6 years that realistically identified females as intelligent, physically tough, brave, and adventurous. She was disappointed that girls continue to be excluded from the heart of the superhero story.

After unsuccessful attempts to find a young girl superhero protagonist on the pages of a book, especially one of color, she gave up. Then she created her own.

Connect with Sonia via her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

Hungry for Food, Hungry for Books {Guest Post by Padma Venkatraman}

December 8, 2018 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

Guest Post by author Padma Venkatraman

I’m twenty and in graduate school when I first hear the expression “food fights.”

I refuse to picture what my classmate, Heinz, has described: children throwing food on one another, for “fun.” As a young woman who’s left behind her not-exactly-wealthy single mother and journeyed alone overseas, I cannot even begin to comprehend this. Instead, my brain conjures up an Oliver-Twist scenario.

“You mean you were hungry because they didn’t give you enough food, so you protested?” I ask.

Raucous laughter surrounds me. The two others in my study group (both young white men from well-to-do backgrounds, like Heinz), explain that no, food fights are when kids fling food at one another.

“Cafeteria food’s tasteless,” they tell me. “Not worth eating.”

I’m stunned into silence. I don’t know how to explain why the concept of throwing away something edible – wasting food for the sake of play – shocks me to the core.

Now, decades after that incident, the idea of a food fight still appalls me.

Perhaps it’s because I spent my first nineteen years in India, where I saw hungry children on the streets, every single day. Maybe it’s also because my grandfather faced hunger as a child. And in part, it’s probably because I was raised by a single mom and for several years our economic situation was fraught.

Then again, I always had enough to eat. But although I never went hungry, I came into close contact with children who had – because my mother volunteered at several schools that were attended by children who’d faced dire poverty. I was befriended by two Roma girls, one of whom ran away from her family and hid in a graveyard until a school gave her refuge. At a homeless shelter, I met children who were fiercely independent and proud of their ability to support themselves.

The food provided in these places was certainly not superior to American school cafeteria food – but I can’t remember any child ever wasting even a grain of rice. What I do remember is how carefully and attentively they’d savor the sweet treats they were served on rare occasions. And these children weren’t just hungry for food – they were hungry for books, too. To them, school was a place of safety in an otherwise violent and unpredictable world.

My memories of these children provided the inspiration for my 4th novel, THE BRIDGE HOME.

Recently, when Grace Lin honored me by interviewing me for her kidlitwomen podcast, she asked me to dream big. Since then, I’ve realized that my biggest dream specifically for THE BRIDGE HOME is that it shall raise awareness about hunger and homelessness, which children face not just in India, but also in America, and across the globe. I hope that by laughing – and crying – with my characters, my readers will form a bond of empathy so strong that they will never engage in a “food fight.”

About Padma

Award-winning American author, Padma Venkatraman, worked as a chief scientist on oceanographic ships, explored rainforests, directed a school, and lived in 5 countries before settling down in Rhode Island. Her middle-grade debut, THE BRIDGE HOME, a contender for the Global Read Aloud initiative, is available for pre-order and scheduled 2019 February release. In a Starred Review, Kirkus calls it “a blisteringly beautiful book.”

Life is harsh in Chennai’s teeming streets, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter–and friendship–on an abandoned bridge. With two homeless boys, Muthi and Arul, the group forms a family of sorts. And while making a living scavenging the city’s trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to laugh about and take pride in too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom.

Her previous 3 novels, A TIME TO DANCE, ISLAND’S END and CLIMBING THE STAIRS, were also released to starred reviews and won numerous honors and awards.

ONE MORE THING…

Our 2018/2019 Classroom Poverty Kit is ready for download!

Our Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate: Understanding Poverty in America kit is ready to be downloaded and enjoyed by parents, librarians, and educators. This free classroom kit includes:

~Over 2 dozen poverty in the U.S.-themed books for ages 4-12,

~Two classroom or home activities

~Our official “Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate” Classroom Poster thanks to the talents of award-winning illustrator, Mehrdokht Amini

~ Helpful Poverty Talking Points for Teachers

~ Links, resources and services available to under-served families in the U.S.A.

Link to sign up on the website: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/multicultural-reading-resources/teacher-classroom-poverty-kit/

Link to Blog post: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/free-downloadable-classroom-poverty-kit-understanding-poverty-in-america/

As always this non-profit thanks you for helping us to continue our mission of getting diverse books into classrooms or the hands of young readers while also helping authors and publishers shine the spotlight on their work.

Our official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld

A Multicultural Children’s Books Kindle eBook Fundraiser for Teachers

December 6, 2018 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

Now more than ever…

A message of hope, compassion, empathy, and understanding is needed.

Now more than ever, children need to see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read. Readers of all ages need to be able to “read their world” to both see themselves, and those are who different, whether by culture, religion, sexual orientation, special needs or ethnicity.

Now more than ever, we need to come together as a nation of beautifully diverse people.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD) is proud to offer an initiative and holiday that encourages discovery, hope, acceptance, inclusion, kindness, and exploration via the pages of diverse children’s literature.

In its 6th year, Multicultural Children’s Book Day’s team is honored and thrilled to have all of you supporting our goal of shining the spotlight on diversity in children’s books. Thank you so much for also letting kids “see themselves” in the pages of a book as many authors, publishers, reviewers, organizations, and educators continue to join us in this annual celebration of books on the last Friday of January.

For those wondering how it all began, it started with a shocking realization and a collaborative dream. In 2013, Mia Wenjen (PragmaticMom) and Valarie Budayr (Jump Into a Book) made the shocking discovery that 37% of the United States is of a multi-cultural or diverse nature, but only 10% of children’s books published reflect that. As children’s reading and play advocates, appreciators of children’s literature, and multicultural parents, we decided to take action.

Instead of complaining about this disparity, we banded together and formed a non-profit organization, Multicultural Children’s Book Day, with the goal of getting diverse children’s books into the hands of readers, parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians.

To achieve this we created a reoccurring online and offline celebration every January that involves hundreds of reviews of diverse kids’ books, diversity literacy conversations, giveaways, author visits, book donations and a very active Twitter Party on the day of the celebration.

MCBD also works to provide educators, parents, and organizations with free diversity children’s books and resources through donations, our FREE Book for Your Classroom Campaign and our robust Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents website resources. We also strive to shine the spotlight on multicultural authors and books via our Sponsorship Opportunities for Authors and Publishers program.

Fundraiser for Teachers

One project that the MCBD Team is exceptionally excited about is their Kindle ebook, Read Your World: A Guide to Multicultural Children’s Books for Parents and Educators. This e-book is a culmination of the creative work of Mia and Valarie, our co-host bloggers and our project manager, Becky Flansburg. Each contributor has shared their best multicultural and diverse children’s book lists in hopes that it will help you find the specific book you need.

Within the pages of this unique e-book, parents, grandparents, educators, and book lovers will find seven specific areas which encompass diverse and multi-cultural topics. Diversity as Everyday introduces the idea of being a global citizen, families with mixed races and cultures, and fairy tales from different cultures all over the world.

Also included in our resource guide are Children’s Book Lists by geographic regions. One of the things that make each of us unique is the topic of religion. We include an introduction to world religions as well as specific booklists and activities for a variety of the world’s religions.

There is a great need to teach children how to view, see, and interpret differences. We included much-needed resources concerning the LGBTQ community as well as children who are special needs or have disabilities.

How the “fundraiser” piece comes into play is that for every copy of this ebook sold, we donate a physical copy of a diverse book to a teacher or classroom! Buy an ebook, get a book to a teacher!

Diversity Continues to be Important

So many of the places we call home have people from a variety of ethnicities. It’s fun to learn about their traditions, cultures, and the issues that face them. When we create understanding between all us, we create a positive environment for all of us to live in. Lastly, in this collection, you will find books by genre: picture books, chapter books, and graphic novels. Each section also hosts a variety of extension activities to allow our young readers a chance to experience their world in the pages of their books.

It is our wish that everyone enjoys each book they encounter, that it opens up new points of discussion, increases awareness of the wonderful and diverse world we live in, and encourages understanding among those reading these wonderful books whether they are a family, classroom or individual readers.

Now more than ever, we need to guide and educate our future leaders in being the global citizens they were born to be.

Parents, caregivers, teachers, and librarians can grab their Kindle ebook copy of Read Your World: A Guide to Multicultural Children’s Books for Parents and Educators Kindle here.

One More Thing…

The deadline for ALL Sponsor sign-ups for is 12/15/18. Get the full scoop on all levels of Sponsorship for MCBD2019 here.

{please tweet} Authors, Publishers, and Literacy Organizations: If you are interested in being a sponsor for #MCBD2019, don’t delay! The deadline to lock in your spot is December 15, 2018. Go here for more details. https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/sponsorship/sponsorship-info/ #ReadYourWorld

MCBD Book Reviewer sign-up Deadline is 12/15/18

If you love diverse books for kids and have a social media platform to share a review on, we want to give you a FREE diversity book to review!

In a nutshell; you don’t have to be a blogger to review multicultural children’s books for our MCBD 2019 online event. You just need to have a love of diversity in children’s literature and be willing to share on your social media platforms such as Facebook (Pages only-no Facebook profiles), Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or YouTube.

**We encourage honest Amazon reviews of assigned books whenever possible as well.

We are thrilled to announce that we have almost 700 book reviewers signed up to review multicultural kids’ and YA books for our event. Get all the details and sign up info HERE. Reviewer sign up closes 12/15/18.

{click to tweet} If you love #diversebooks for kids and have a social media platform to share a review on, @MCChildsBookDay wants to give you a FREE diversity book to review for their 1/25/19 online event! Details HERE: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/our-programs/bookreviewer/ #ReadYourWorld

#ReadYourWorld Book Jam 2019 with Children’s Book Council!

December 3, 2018 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

We are happy to announce our line up for our #ReadYourWorld Book Jam 2019 with Children’s Book Council!

Yuyi Morales*

Neal Porter Books/Holiday House

Book list on Multicultural Stories

*She had to drop out due to heavy workload.

Renee Watson

Bloomsbury Books

Book list on children’s and young adult poetry.

Katie Yamasaki

Holiday House

Book list on multicultural families and friendships.

Vita Murrow

The Quarto Group

Book list on inspiring heroes & heroines, fairy tale retellings, and classics for a modern age.

TR Simon

Candlewick

Book list on African American books.

E E Charlene Trujillo

Candlewick

Bbook list on kids of size and people who feel “othered.”

Cynthia Leitich Smith

Candlewick

Book list on Native culture.

Meera Sririm

Penny Candy Book

Book list on multicultural books celebrating grandparental love.

Lila Quintero Weaver

Candlewick

Book list on Latinx books.

Mariana Llanos

Penny Candy Book

Book list on immigration.

Amy Rose Capetta

Candlewick Press

LGBTQ+ booklist

She replaces Yuyi Morales

This series will post during the month of January on the Multicultural Children’s Book Day blog. Each author will be hosting a giveaway. Thank you to all the authors and illustrators who submitted a proposal for this series and to the authors, illustrators and publishers who are participating.

MCBD2019 Sponsors and Book Reviewers: Deadlines Looming!

November 28, 2018 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

It’s hard to believe our 6th Multicultural Children’s Book Day online and offline celebration is less than two months away.

Things are going at full speed here at MCBD headquarters and we want to make sure two critical deadlines don’t sneak up on our supporters, reviewers, and potential sponsors.

MCBD Sponsorship Deadline is 12/15/18

Sponsorship for Multicultural Children’s Book Day is not only a great way to support this event; it is an excellent way to get your name (and your books) in front of thousands of readers. All of our Sponsors get a name mention within the hundreds of reviews that get posted from December to January 25^th and also on the sites of our 24+ CoHosts sites. The deadline for ALL Sponsor sign-ups is 12/15/18.

Our Sponsorship levels also range from Platinum to Author Level and “Friends of MCBD” to fit any budget.

Check out our current Medallion Level Sponsors and Author Sponsors to see what amazing people you’ll be keeping company with!

NEW PERK: Those who sign up for Platinum or Super Platinum level for MCBD2019 will be enjoying the opportunity of providing up to 12 guest posts (written by the sponsor) that can be used on the MCBD blog over the course of 12 months!

This is a big deal! On any given day the MCBD blog gets around 600-800 hits and during the month before and after our online holiday that number triples. Guest posts are also “evergreen” which means they live on the MCBD blog forever. This benefit is perfect for book launches, company news, special sales or announcements of new books!

Again…The deadline for ALL Sponsor sign-ups for is 12/15/18. Get the full scoop on all levels of Sponsorship for MCBD2019 here.

MCBD Book Reviewer sign-up Deadline is 12/15/18

If you love diverse books for kids and have a social media platform to share a review on, we want to give you a FREE diversity book to review!

**We encourage honest Amazon reviews of assigned books whenever possible as well.

One More Thing- Be sure and check out our robust and extensive Diversity Book Lists & Resources for Teachers and Parents!

Reading Your World via an Online Children’s Book Celebration

November 21, 2018 by Valarie Budayr 1 Comment

Six years!

Can you believe MCBD is in its SIXTH YEAR?! The Multicultural Children’s Book Day team couldn’t be proud of the success we’ve achieved and the people we’ve touched along the way.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 Poster

Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries.

Reading Your World | How It Began

In 2012 children’s reading and play advocates, Valarie Budayr, and, Mia Wenjen, became increasingly concerned about the lack of diversity in the kids’ books they were reviewing. Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content.

It’s no secret that books play a huge part in all children’s lives and studies have also shown that reading as little as twenty minutes per week will result in stronger readers and an interest in books that lasts a lifetime. But just as important as having books available to kids is the ability for them to “see themselves” in the pages of the books they read.

Budayr, the daughter of parents who emigrated from Sweden and wife to an American/Lebanese man, along with Wenjen, a Korean/Japanese American, were both keenly aware that there simply weren’t enough representation of kids of color in children’s literature. And the books that did exist did not get the exposure they needed and deserved. Both Budayr and Wenjen put their collective heads together and, along with the assistance of Brainerd Lakes Area native and project manager, Becky Flansburg, formulated a plan to create a nationally known online book event that would celebrate multiculturalism in kids’ books.

The result was the creation of an ambitious (and much-needed) online event known as Multicultural Children’s Book Day that debut on January 27, 2013. Now entering their fourth year, the mission of this scrappy non-profit remains the same; to shine the spotlight on multicultural children’s book and authors and work tirelessly to get those books into the hands of readers, parents, grandparents, and educators.

“Our young readers need to see themselves within the pages of a book,” Wenjen shared. “They need to experience other cultures, languages, traditions, and religions and they can do that within the pages of diverse picture books and chapter books. As our sixth Multicultural Children’s Book Day holiday approaches (1/25/19), we are thrilled to have a very well-established community of supporters. The support and excitement surrounding this event is so special and continues to grow every year.”

During the months and weeks leading up to the online celebration, readers, parents, grandparents, teachers, caregivers, and librarians are encouraged to follow along via book reviews, author visits, event details, children’s book giveaways and more on the MCBD website. They are also encouraged to have their own reading and discussion time in the classroom or at home. Participants and supporters can also stay in the loop with the festivities via the event’s hashtag #ReadYourWorld on Twitter and other social media.

“Now more than ever, a message of hope, compassion, empathy, and understanding is needed,” Budayr noted. “Now more than ever, children need to see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read. Readers of all ages need to be able to “read their world” to both see themselves, and those are who different, whether by culture, religion, sexual orientation, special needs or ethnicity. Now more than ever, we need to come together as a nation of beautifully diverse people.”

With the support of hundreds of book reviewers, dozens of sponsors, classrooms and other non-profit agencies like the Junior Library Guild and the Children’s Book Council, the MCBD team hopes to be able to continue to spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of diversity in children’s literature.

Ways to Get Involved with MCBD 2019

Here are a few ways you can participate in Multicultural Children’s Book Day:

{Teachers} Multicultural Children’s Book Day FREE Book for Your Classroom Campaign-If you know of a classroom or library that would like a free hardcover, library-approved, diversity children’s book, have them sign up at multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/our-programs/mccbd-2016-classroom-reading-challenge/

{Parents/Librarians/Teachers/KidLit Lovers} Get Free Review Books. MCBD offers a free diverse children’s book to parents, grandparents, and educators that are willing to write a review and this year we are not limiting reviewers to just bloggers. Just share on your review on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or your blog. Get sign up details HERE.

{Teachers, Librarian, and Caregivers}: Plan your own offline/classroom celebration of MCBD2019! Join our Offline Classroom Project and earn free diverse books for your classroom or library!

{Authors and Publishers} Donate Books: For our next online event (1/25/19) we will have hundreds of book reviewers signed up to review diverse children’s books on their blogs or on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Authors and publishers have the option of offering copies of their multicultural children’s books to our reviewers to review and write a social media review about. There are no guarantees that we will be able to match your book to a reviewer(s), but if this interests you, let me know. We will provide you with names and addresses and you mail your book directly to the reviewer. Go HERE to sign-up and donate your diverse children’s or YA books.

{Everyone} Be a MCBD 2019 Sponsor: Sponsorship is not only a great way to support this event; it is an excellent way to get an author’s name and books in front of thousands of readers. Sponsorship levels range from Platinum to Author Level and a Friends of MCBD option is also available for those who would like to support the initiative with a monetary donation. Go HERE to learn more.

{Everyone} Multicultural Children’s Book Day Free Resources, Booklists, and Extension Activities for Teachers and Parents. Enjoy this vast resource list of diverse children’s books categorized by culture, religion, sexual orientation, special needs or ethnicity.
Connect with MCBD on social media and share, share, share! Their official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld

– Facebook: www.facebook.com/MulticulturalChildrensBookDay

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay

– Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/pragmaticmom/multicultural-books-for-kids/

MCBD Links to remember:

MCBD site: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Classroom Empathy Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/mcbd2018s-free-classroom-empathy-kit-is-here-empathy-immigration/

Free Kindness Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teachers-classroom-kindness-kit/

Free Diversity Book Lists and Activities for Teachers and Parents: http://bit.ly/1sZ5s8i

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use their official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Diverse Kidlit as a Creative Educational Tools

November 17, 2018 by Rebecca Flansburg

Guest post by Wiley Barnes from Chickasaw Press

Children innately love books. They have certain stories that become favorites, and they want to look at them or read them time and again. Books from our childhood have a way of staying with us and becoming a part of who we are.

I kept this concept in mind all through the process of writing the children’s book, “C is for Chickasaw.” I wanted every element of each page to continue to draw young readers back and make it their own much-loved book.

After the book’s release through White Dog Press in 2014, I began to develop a vision for realizing the full potential of the book as a creative educational tool. Dreaming beyond the paper page, I imagined what it would be like to bring the characters and words to life, packing as much action as possible into a simple, but exciting digital book-app format for young readers.

The project took almost two years of conceptual development and 18 months of programming, but the “C is for Chickasaw” app finally became a reality and was released in the spring of 2017. The app is now available at the Apple App Store, Amazon and Google Play for $2.99. There are over 10 separate components of the app, including an expanded version of the “C is for Chickasaw” children’s book.

I wanted this app to be more universal than the book. When you strip the alphabet away, you touch on Chickasaw history and culture and are able to use it as an early childhood developmental tool.

I wrote the book to teach children about Chickasaw history and culture. It is filled with little bits and pieces of Chickasaw history and language. The book has many elements, but as an app those elements have increased ten-fold. The purpose of the book is realized even more so in this format. The app takes the book to a level where I think kids will want to come back to it over and over.

The app looks as much like the original book as possible, but I wanted it to have a pop-up picture book look, as well. It was bringing flat art to life and working across multiple types of software in a trial and error process. There were many pieces, such as, “How do we get this letter ‘B’ to look like paper and wad up and move across the page?”

We produced over 77,000 lines of code and worked with over 1000 images, and that’s not including adding the audio. The app designer and I tested the app out by sharing it with our own children during the creation process. It includes areas of discovery for the kids to explore. There are hidden elements and a lot of discoveries to be made.

In addition to the app, this year we released the paperback version of “C is for Chickasaw” and a “C is for Chickasaw Coloring Book,” that adds a creative element to the educational applications for “C is for Chickasaw.”

Watch the book trailer!

AUTHOR INFO: Wiley Barnes, Chickasaw, holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Oklahoma State University. He has spent nearly eighteen years forging a career in publishing, writing, printing, and graphic design, with the last eleven years at the Chickasaw Nation. During that time he has had the pleasure of working on a number of projects that promote Chickasaw culture and celebrate Chickasaw people. Barnes lives in Ada, Oklahoma, with his wife and two children.

Connect with Chickasaw Press on their website, Facebook, on ChickasawTV and their Chickasaw Kids website.

A new Added bonus for Platinum and Super Platinum Sponsorship levels!

November 10, 2018 by Valarie Budayr

Great things are happening at Multicultural Children’s Book Day headquarters and our Sponsor lineup is growing by the DAY. You can view current Medallion Level Sponsors and Author Sponsors on the website here and here.

THEN…we are excited to announce a new Added bonus for Platinum and Super Platinum Sponsorship levels!

Along with all the other perks that go along with our two highest levels of Sponsorship, the MCBD Team has “sweetened the deal” with this impressive bonus.

Those who sign up for Platinum or Super Platinum level for MCBD2019 will be enjoying the opportunity of providing up to 12 guest posts (written by the sponsor) that can be used on the MCBD blog over the course of 12 months!

P.S. The deadline for ALL Sponsor sign-ups for is 12/15/18

Get the full scoop on all levels of Sponsorship for MCBD2019 here.

FUN FACT: Did you know that, since our non-profit was established over six years ago, we have gotten over 4,000 free diverse books into the hands of young readers?

More Perks at MCBD

*Our Poster Reveal: The official MCBD2019 poster courtesy of author/illustrator, Julie Flett, is ready to take the world by storm! Needless to say, this poster’s beauty blew us away. Go here to read Julie’s story and download a copy for your reading area, library or classroom.

Book Reviewers Needed!

*Love diverse kids/YA books? So much that you’d like to review one for MCBD2019? Perfect, because we’d like to give you one!

Book Reviewer signup is now open and as long as reviewers have the capability to post a review on a blog, Facebook (Pages only, no Profiles), Instagram, YouTube, and Amazon, they will be able to get a free diverse book for our celebration. GO HERE to sign up.

*Our 2018/2019 Classroom Poverty Kit is ready for download!

Our Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate: Understanding Poverty in America kit is ready to be downloaded and enjoyed by parents, librarians, and educators. Go HERE to download.

REMINDER: We’d like to remind everyone of the 2019 date change (and future dates for MCBD as well).

Instead of being “every January 27th,” we are shifting to a “last Friday in January” focus so we don’t interfere with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This change just felt right and we are glad to make this positive move. So, the next Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 will be on January 25, 2019.

As always, this non-profit thanks you for helping us to continue our mission of getting diverse books into classrooms and the hands of young readers while also helping authors and publishers shine the spotlight on their work.

Our official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld

Thank YOU for helping us to continue our mission!

Follow our hashtag #ReadYourWorld on Twitter and Facebook for more news and updates.

Culture Groove: Because kids need to grow up multicultural!

November 3, 2018 by Valarie Budayr

So, what is an engineer-turned dancer-turned-author doing on YouTube?

Because kids need to grow up multicultural!

“OK Ajanta, this isn’t making any sense,” you say. But you see, this is exactly why I co-founded Culture Groove.

I grew up in India but my son was born in the US. I read books to him about India – it was easily available since we write them ourselves. I coaxed him with Indian folktales as I tried to make him eat one more bite of food. I invented games on rainy days that reminded me of my childhood days.

But you know what I couldn’t find? A way for him to continue the learning as he inevitably did the one thing that none of us want to admit our kids do – watch videos on a tablet.

O Oh, what is my child watching? The moment he found the treasure box of entertainment, there was no going back. Cartoon voices filled up the air intermixed with his giggles as he watched pups on rescue missions, form changing magic pets and the very “special” ones – people opening eggs and playing with their own toys.

I scoured the internet looking for videos about the Indian culture. They were either entirely in Hindi and my son didn’t understand the language that well yet. Or they were extremely religious, something that our family is not. I needed something that worked well for kids born outside of India. Something that they could relate to.

Can’t find it? Make your own! So just like coming up with our own flavor of Bollywood fitness, kids’ classes, and children’s books, we decided to make the videos ourselves and Culture Groove YouTube channel was born. Best part? I could make the videos with my son in them! As a parent, what could be more satisfying?

Culture Groove on YouTube

The dreaded Wheels on the Bus: We chose popular nursery rhymes as our platform because what do your kids relentlessly listen to so that even you start humming them in the shower? “Wheels on the bus” and the likes of it!

We wrote our own songs, came up with our own animations and dances and voila! you now have cultural education packaged in fun and made from scratch.

You should sell it: People advised to sell the content via some expensive subscription and we vehemently disagreed! Yes, it is putting a huge dent in our savings as we continue to spend hundreds of dollars on each video but education especially multicultural, should be easily accessible and not be cost-prohibitive.

What’s the dream: Why stop at Indian culture? Let’s teach the kids about the world! Our vision is that someday, Culture Groove will be a one-stop shop for kids to learn about many cultures around the world.

How you can help: Is your heart soaring imagining your child becoming a true global citizen who values diversity and wants to make the world a more tolerant place? Spread the word! It takes 30 seconds to share with your friends, family, your child’s school and so on. 30 seconds that you have now contributed to making diversity the norm and not an exception.

So yes, you will, in fact, see this ex-technologist, dancing and writing mama now on your child’s screen in hoping to teach kids about the cultures around the world and help Raise Multicultural Kids! Visit our YouTube Channel and join the celebration!

About CultureGroove Books

Maya & Neel’s India Adventure Series by Ajanta & Vivek takes kids to a journey across India as they experience festivals, cities, food, music, dance and everything else that makes the Indian culture so vibrant and joyful!

The series has 8 titles so far including festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Ramadan/Eid etc. regions such as Mumbai, Delhi and even one on Indian wedding! The books provide an in-depth view via fun and engaging content!

Ajanta & Vivek also teach fun multicultural content via their YouTube channel whose goal is to provide Cultural Screen Time and includes animations, dance-along videos, trip to Indian stores and more.

CultureGroove’s vibrant books include Let’s Celebrate Holi! (Maya & Neel’s India Adventure Series), Let’s Celebrate Ramadan & Eid! (Muslim Festival of Fasting & Sweets), Let’s Celebrate Navratri! (Nine Nights of Dancing & Fun) Let’s Celebrate 5 Days of Diwali! (Maya & Neel’s India Adventure Series), Let’s Visit Mumbai! (Maya & Neel’s India Adventure Series) Delhi and Taj Mahal and more!

Discover the full library of CultureGroove Books on Amazon and connect with them via their website, Facebook, YouTube