Multicultural Children's Book Day

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January and Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021

January 16, 2021 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

Planning and implementation for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 is zooooommming right along!

Can you believe that MCBD2021 is less than 30 days away? As my grandpa used to say, “We’re on the downhill slide to the finish line!”

Here’s what’s new and interesting

  • Book Matching Has Wrapped: From mid-November to the end of December, the MCBD Team worked hard to match reviewers with authors or publishers and it was no small task. As much as we want to keep going and keep assigning authors to reviewers, we know from past experience that it gets stressful and frustrating for all parties involved when review books don’t arrive on time. We do, however, have wonderful PDFs of diverse books to share and review so contact Admin (at)
  • Our Project Manager did an excellent Facebook Live Friday Chat on 1/8 about the basic format of book reviews for MCBD and how to also “Next Level” your reviews to set yourself apart from the crowd. Watch this Chat on replay HERE.
  • Sponsorships Are Closed and WOW, do are we impressed with our Medallion  Level and Author Level 2021 Sponsors!
  • TWITTER PARTY! Yes, it’s true–we can hardly contain our excitement. Our annual MCBD Twitter Party is not only crazy-fun, it’s a chance for educators, parents, readers, reviewers, authors, publishers, and literacy organizations to come together for an hour of intense discussion on relevant topics on the diverse literacy for kids world.

A Meaningful Group Chat

If you haven’t joined our private MCBD Facebook Group, please do! The group is growing like crazy and we have a nice mix of educators, parents, book reviewers, influencers, authors, and publishers.

Not only have we shared our vision for the new group rules, but we are also excited about Becky’s new Weekly FB Live called Meaningful Group Friday Chat.

Why “Meaningful Groups?”

A Meaningful Group is an engaged community that comes together for a common purpose, passion, or reason. Also, a community committed to supporting each other. Sounds like the MCBD Facebook Group, yes? Our goal with this reoccurring Facebook Live every Friday to share what’s new and upcoming for Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Then our Hostess with the Mostess, Project Manager Becky Flansburg, will talk about a topic that would appeal to the wide range of group members that we have. Weekly could include topics like blogging, social media, publishing, promotion, and marketing, or even topics from a parent’s perspective work/life balance, time management, anxious kids, etc.

We have an amazing pool of Smart People in this group, and on the MCBD Team, so we want to use our knowledge bank to make our private Facebook Group a Meaningful one.

P.S. These Lives will be archived so they can be watched at a later date too 🙂

You can watch Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4.  As of 2021, our Friday Nite Chat has shifted to a Friday DAY Chat! The topic for the January 22nd Facebook Live within the MCBD Group is more info and what to expect with our crazy-fun 1/29 Twitter Party. AND the why/how/what-the-heck Q&A about our Big Giant Linky
As always, THANK YOU ALL for your support and efforts to keep this diversity in children’s literacy blooming!

**If you have questions about Multicultural Children’s Book Day, how to get involved, or how to get free books for your school or classroom, email Admin (at) MulticulturalChildrensBookDay (dot) com **

 

SUMMARY OF THE Multicultural Children’s Book Day EVENT

FIRST, a giant blog tour —
Readers, parents, teachers, librarians, and caregivers are coming together to explore lots of books with diverse content and sharing their thoughts and feedback via book reviews, book lists, and links.

SECOND, a giant networking event —
This global event connects readers, caregivers, educators, librarians, non-profits, organizations, sponsors, co-hosts, bloggers, and thought leaders so we can all achieve a common goal of raising awareness on the importance of diversity in children’s and YA literature.

THIRD, a virtual book drive —
Through MCBD initiatives like the FREE Diverse Books for Classrooms Project, The Offline Classroom Swag Pack,  and continued outreach to underserved readers, proceeds raised during the course of this online event (and all year-long) go towards getting free multicultural books in locations where they are needed and into the hands of young readers.

Filed Under: 2021 MCBD, 2021 Sponsorships, Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, diversity in children's literature, Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021

4 Ways to Create Unique Diverse Book Review

January 13, 2021 by Rebecca Flansburg Leave a Comment

{Special Message from Project Manager, Becky Flansburg}

We are so excited that things are rolling along beautifully for our Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 event! Currently, we are working on wrapping up book matching for the year and are busy planning to make our annual Twitter Party even more epic than it has been in the past.

So today, I want to talk a little bit about the process of book reviewing for this event. Basically, when we asked our reviewers to review a book for our online (and offline) celebration, we would like them to do a handful of things.

The Basic Book Review for MCBD2021

The main thing is to share the title of the book the authors name the illustrator if possible and also who gave them the book whether it’s the publisher’s name like capstone or hoopoe etc. then include a brief summary of the book itself with the book is about, your thoughts on the book what you liked or didn’t like about the book and then the mandatory information that MCBD will be supplying you around the 14th of this month. AND DON’T FORGET–#ReadYourWorld

We also encourage (in the vein of disclosure) that reviewers mention that they were gifted the book they are reviewing.

The Basic Element for a Book Review is:

  • Share the title of the book, the author, and the illustrator. Phrase it like “I was gifted a copy of_____”
  • If applicable, mention the publisher (Capstone, Candlewick, Star Bright, Pack-N-Go Girls, etc)
  • It’s important that you mention the word gifted.
  • Then, share a brief summary of the book, your thoughts/likes about the book, and then (whenever possible) as much of the mandatory info we will send around the 14th as possible.
  • And don’t forget the #ReadYourWorld Hashtag!

On the flipside, if you are leaving a review on Amazon, just leave a review as you normally would. You don’t need to mention you were gifted the book and you don’t need to include any of the mandatory MCBD information. Just leave a review like any normal person would do if they bought a book and wanted to review leave a review for the author.

Here’s an example of reviews from 2020.

BooksMyKidsRead.com

MKB.com

RebekahGienapp.com

NOTE: We are a little behind on getting this mandatory information out because we still have sponsors trickling in which is unusual but   2020 was just an unusual year so we’re not surprised. So bear with us a little longer on that! We’d like our reviewers to begin posting their reviews as close to the celebration date (1/29/21) as possible because it’s great for building buzz.

Next Leveling Your Book Reviews

Now let’s talk about how to make your book review unique. We have many reviewers, almost 700 from all over the globe, reviewing books. And many will be reviewing more than one book! We roughly figure that during this event there will be 1200 to 1400+ books being reviewed on social media. Impressive, right?

That being said, the question has come up about the uniqueness of reviews during this online celebration.

The question was posed that if five people are reviewing the same book, wouldn’t the reviews (plus the mandatory copy-n-paste info) make them all look the same? Actually NO, and that is why we want to encourage our reviewers to think outside the box a little when writing their review for MCBD.

And It’s actually easier than You think.

Now we completely understand that if you are writing a review on a blog you obviously have more space and word count when sharing reviews and it’s a little harder on social media especially Twitter.

If you are reviewing on Twitter, I would definitely stick just to the formula of the title of the book the author in the illustrator –tag them when you can and don’t forget to include #ReadYourWorld

If you are sharing your review on a blog, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube, you have more wiggle room on how wordy you can be.

You will also have more word count to be able to include as much of our mandatory information as possible.  The most important piece of the Mandatory Book Review info we will send to you all around the 14th is the list of our Medallion Sponsors and our Author Sponsor because they appreciate the name mention on social media.

In that case, here are a few ideas on how to make your review unique.

Ways to Next Level Your Reviews

  1. Ways to make your review different from anyone else is to just be YOU. You are uniquely YOU so your thoughts and feedback are already going to be different.
  2. You can share discussion questions activity ideas, links to downloads from the publisher that are related to the book, or things about the book that resonated with your life story.
  3. Many of the authors and publishers will have ready to go activities downloadable coloring pages and discussion questions on their websites. Use those activities, downloads, or discussion questions to engage with your own family and share the results as part of your review.
  4. TALK TO YOUR AUTHOR: Learn more about the author and the illustrator because we promise they are interesting people! Ask them questions about their author/illustrator journey or ask the Author what inspired them to write the book.

I have a lot of experience in interviewing people for national magazines so I have created templated questions that seem to be good conversation starters and a great way to get to know someone better.

These questions are great to ask just to find out a little more about the person behind the book.

You don’t have to ask all five questions, and you don’t have to call them on the phone (unless you want to). You can choose one question email them and share their answer and then bingo you have a unique element to your book review.

 

We appreciate all of the reviews that people are producing for this wonderful event! We are very proud and grateful to all of those folks who are helping this children’s literacy celebration grow and evolve year after year.

 

Filed Under: Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, book review, book review bloggers, diverse books

(Grand)parenting at a distance

January 12, 2021 by Rebecca Flansburg Leave a Comment

{Guest Post by Pack-n-Go Girls}

Oh, so many challenges this year. And so many moments where we feel like we’ve lost time we’ll never get back. If you’re like I am, you’ve missed in-person time with your grandkids, nieces and nephews, or maybe even your own child. Zoom has saved us from being totally unknown to each other, but we all still miss giving a real hug and holding hands as we head to the park.

Here’s some good news in the middle of all this: those virtual calls may actually be closer to the real thing than it seems. In a recent New York Times’ article, contributing opinion writer Dr. Richard Friedman shares an interesting study: Young children “were put in a mildly stressful situation — asked to perform math and verbal tasks in front of an audience — and then given a randomly assigned form of parental contact: in-person; by text, by telephone and no contact at all.

“Researchers asked the children afterward how they felt, and then measured their levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the level of the prosocial hormone oxytocin. Strikingly, texting with a parent provided no more comfort than having no contact at all. But telephone communication was just as effective as being able to touch and see a parent.”

While in-person time can never be replaced, here’s a cool idea for interacting virtually: spend time reading together. Even better? Choose books from MCBD’s own multicultural book lists or Pack-n-Go Girls list. Most if not all are on Amazon or can be ordered through your local bookstore. Many are at your local library.

For younger kids, picture books just get better and better. For older kids, look for chapter books (of course, the Pack-n-Go Girls Adventure books are a great place to start!). Take turns reading pages or chapters together. If you’re on a budget (and aren’t we all?), arrange for both you and the kids you love to get the library books through everyone’s own library system.

Yes, it would definitely be better to be together, tucked under a toasty throw in front of the fireplace as you discover a new book. But it’s nice to know you don’t have to give up this favorite thing together just because you’re at a distance.

For more virtual connecting ideas, check out this Pack-n-Go Girls blog.

About Pack-N-Go Girls

Pack n Go Girls

Dreaming of true-blue friends, mysterious adventures, and faraway places? Pack-n-Go Girls take you there!

2017 Literary Classics Winner – Best Series – Young Reader
2017 Moonbeam Children’s Book Winner – Best Chapter Book Series
2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Winner – Best Chapter Book Series
Readers tour 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. AND at the same time, they’re inspired to embrace adventure, be curious, value what unites us, and celebrate the differences that make us unique. Kids discover the diversity of cultures and the richness each one contributes to the world.
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, Pack-n-Go Girls specializes in creating innovative stories for girls that deliver positive messages around independence, adventure, and global awareness.
PNGG’s newest offering is Mystery of the Rusty Key, the second book in the Australian adventures. Here’s a bit about both books:
Image of Mystery of the Min Min Lights https://app.box.com/s/6bnmjmilq1ud4c54mo96kyh987j769zv 
Mystery of the Min Min Lights – Australia 1
Journey into the dusty, windswept Australian outback, land of bounding kangaroos and dazzling sunsets. Wendy Lee arrives from California. She’s lucky to meet Chloe and Jacko Taylor, who invite Wendy to their sheep station. It sounds like fun except that someone is stealing the sheep. And the thief just might be something as crazy as a UFO.
Image of Mystery of the Rusty Key https://app.box.com/s/vj89d47wnyvbm0okmd6j2btrnx8mnaep
 
Mystery of the Rusty Key – Australia 2
Wendy, Chloe, and Jacko travel to Sydney and dive straight into another mystery where they must unravel four spooky clues: an ancient letter, a rusty key, a missing box, and a curse. The kids race against time to solve the mystery before the clock strikes midnight.
Learn more about the Pack-n-Go Girls® books and related products HERE.
Follow the Pack-n-Go Girls® on Twitter:@packngogirls , Instagram, Pinterest, and on Facebook: facebook.com/packngogirls

 

Filed Under: Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: benefits of reading, family reading

Mothers, Daughters, Queens, and Princesses

January 9, 2021 by Rebecca Flansburg Leave a Comment

{Guest Post from Deedee Cummings}

A Princess is a Queen in training. A queen is the reigning female of her family- regarded as the most outstanding in a particular sphere or group- according to the dictionary. How better does a young girl figure out her place in the world than by watching her mother proudly proclaim hers?

But moms shouldn’t diminish their bright light either. Moms who work outside the home tend to have a lot of guilt about the hours they dedicate to their professional careers and goals. Oftentimes, what we don’t realize is happening during the rush of parenting and working, is that our fiery drive is being seen and absorbed by our children.

Girls become strong by witnessing the challenges of their mothers. Mothers and Daughters are the Queens & Princesses of modern times.

And that was definitely the case for my daughter and me, all those years ago when I was navigating life and work as a single mom and a mentor for my young daughter

Looking back,  I didn’t feel like I was doing any sort of guiding or mentoring back then, but now as my Princess (my daughter, Kayla) has grown into a Queen herself, I now know for sure that my daughter has learned to follow her dreams by watching me chase mine. She is truly my butterfly who has fully emerged from her cocoon in full regal beauty.

It has been fun to watch her dreams come to life. It has been fun to watch her fly. And my heart grows happier each day I watch her achieve success and accomplishment over and over. Kayla’s dream was always to be on stage. To sing. To dance. To act. To entertain.

So, tired Queen Mamas, if you feel like your crown is slipping, don’t give up. Stand with pride, operate from a place of dignity, and ask for help when you need it. Our daughters will carry on our torch of passion and fire when it is their time. We just need to keep embracing the Majesty of our Womanhood and keep it moving.

In 2021, I am releasing the new and updated book about my young Princess’s journey because I know it will be a fun ride filled with pride for you and your loved ones too.

My upcoming diverse picture book, Kayla: A Modern Day Princess was inspired many years ago by my own daughter, Kayla who is now a well-known and successful Broadway actress.

She picked a hard profession. She is a triple threat performer who can act, dance, and sing. This chosen career field is a tough one for anyone, but as a black female, it has come with its own set of challenges. Steep competition for roles is made all the more difficult simply because of the color of her skin. Talent and drive sometimes just do not matter.

Scheduled for release in April of 2021, the updated through text and illustration on the fact that we all need to empower little brown girls to follow their dreams. Little girls of ALL colors need these stories of HOPE and stories that show them what is possible. Dreams give us hope and that is especially true for IBPOC kids.

We must make room for stories about black and brown children. My family story is a unique perspective and Kayla’s is made all the more energizing because of her determination and her drive in a field that will pick you to pieces.

Please share it with girls of all backgrounds who need to be encouraged to follow their heart- even when it is not the popular decision.

Learn more about MakeAWayMedia.com and Kayla: A Modern Day Princess HERE.

 

About Deedee Cummings

Deedee Cummings

As a therapist, attorney, author, and CEO of Make A Way Media, Deedee Cummings has a passion for making the world a better place. All eleven of Cummings’ diverse picture, poetry, and workbooks for kids reflect her professional knowledge and love of life. In her award-winning 2019 picture book, This Is the Earth  Cummings uses bold and bright illustrations to share a message of peace, love, respect, compassion, inclusion, and how everyone is a steward of the world in which we live. Her newest release, In The Nick of Time (November 2019) is the story of a little brown boy who saves Christmas.

Cummings has spent more than two decades working within the family therapy and support field and much of her writing shares her experiences of working with kids in therapeutic foster care. She is also the founder and creator of the Louisville Book Festival; a literacy-based celebration that occurred in Louisville, KY on October 23rd and 24th, 2020.

Filed Under: 2021 Sponsorships, diversity in children’s books, Guest Posts, Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, and Princesses, book review, Children's Book Author, Daughters, diverse books, Mothers, Multicultural Author, Queens

 A’s to your Q’s: Answers to some Most Frequently Asked Questions about MCBD

December 22, 2020 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

We know the inner (and outer) workings of Multicultural Children’s Book Day can seem complex sometimes, but we can assure you that there is a method to our madness! So to clarify some of our most commonly asked questions, here is an impromptu Questions and Answers Session with Project Manager, Becky Flansburg.

A’s to your Q’s

Q: My book is about animals on an adventure, but it teaches lessons about inclusion and kindness-could that be included in Multicultural Children’s Book Day?

A: Unfortunately, no. There are occasional exceptions (if the book is bilingual and written by a BIPOC author), but for the most part, we need to follow these guidelines when accepting books/Authors/Sponsors for MCBD. 

Our Criteria for “Multicultural” or “Diverse” Children’s Books

  • Books that contain characters of color as well as main characters that represent a minority point of view.
  • Books that are written by an author of diversity or color from their perspective. Search #ownvoices to discover diverse books written by diverse authors.
  • Books that share ideas, stories, and information about cultures, race, religion, language, and traditions. These books can be non-fiction but still written in a way that kids will find entertaining and informative.
  • Books that embrace special needs or even “hidden disabilities” like ADHD, ADD, and anxiety.
  • Books that show IBPOC readers what is POSSIBLE–like a book that shows an Asian child as an astronaut 👩‍🚀, a child from Sudan as an actress, or a biracial child as a world leader.
Q: I’d like to review a book for MCBD, but I’m not a blogger. Can I still get a free diverse book to review?
A: Yes! It’s not required to be a blogger to participate in book reviewing. All reviewers are required to post their reviews on at least one (as many as possible is appreciated) of these social media channels: a blog, Facebook (Page, not a Profile), Instagram (no private accounts), Twitter (no private accounts) and YouTube. Additional reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are also very appreciated.
Q: Periodically we see FB/IG/Twitter posts from either Pragmatic Mom or MCBD where groups of books (a.k.a. booklists) are featured – usually highlighting diversity.  How can we get one of my books into those posts?   
A: MCBD has no influence over what books are chosen on other people’s sites. I’ve been asked often over the years by other authors how to get included in these lists and the best advice I can give is ASK. They typically include books that have been sent to them because that is what is on their radar. Another way is to create your own booklist on your own site and include one of your own books. Then share like crazy on social media!
Q: We also see FB/IG/Twitter posts from MCBD featuring individual books – how do we get our books considered for these features? Can we post these to your accounts ourselves?
A: MCBD does not review books, so to speak, but we do have different opportunities available for authors to shine the spotlight on their diverse books. One popular way is to do a guest post for us about their writing and publishing journey, what inspired them to write their book, and why they feel the message in this book is important for young readers to be aware of. Those guest posts are then shared on MCBD’s social media. There are examples of recent guest posts HERE and HERE.
Anyone who is interested in doing a guest post on the MCBD blog should send an email to admin@multiculturalchildrensbookday.com
Q: What is the Difference Between a Shout Out and a Multicultural Children’s Book Day Sponsorship?
A: The difference between Social Shout Outs and Sponsorship for MCBD 2021 (1/29/21) is that Shout Outs are a one-time social media push on an author/diverse book’s behalf. Our Social Shout Outs are available 365 days a year and act as a fundraiser for our Free Books for Classrooms Project.
Sponsorships, on the other hand, are directly connected to the yearly celebration itself and are a great way to tap into the hundreds-of-thousands of views our social media channels get from November to February 1.
MCBD also offers a magazine-quality interview blog post with accompanying social media called a Sponsored Post. We only do them in the “off-season” which is February-September. But it would be a great way to share a giveaway, one of your YouTube videos, and any other info about the company and the books. 
Q: How else can I promote my diverse books for kids?
A: I’m going to put on my marketing coach hat here and encourage you to really tap into online marketing opportunities that are occurring right now. Because of COVID-19 shopping and discovering new titles to read will largely happen online. Be active in book-related Facebook Groups and by “be active” I mean really engage with members as opposed to dumping your links and disappearing. 
Like I mentioned above, guest posting is a great way to gain readership and visibility and MCBD welcomes guest posts. Leverage social media by using vibrant pictures/images related to your books and even share excerpts from the pages. Check out this 10-point checklist on Leveraging the Social Buzz! MCBD’s Marketing Tips Authors & Publishers.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, AND PINTEREST!

Filed Under: 2021 MCBD, Diverse Book Review, Events

Leveraging the Social Buzz! MCBD’s Marketing Tips Authors & Publishers

December 15, 2020 by Valarie Budayr

The calendar just flipped to December and Multicultural Children’s Book Day Headquarters is humming right along! As we gear up for an EPIC 8th year of Multicultural Children’s Book Day, we want to remind everyone involved in this vibrant online celebration to share the excitement we work so hard to create far-n-wide.

As we always say, we’ve created the buzz, what YOU do with that energy is up to YOU!

Marketing Tips & Ways to Leverage Your MCBD2021 Participation

  1. Tribe Build: Click over to the Author Sponsor and Medallion Level Sponsor Pages and take the time to Like, Follow, Visit, and Connect on social media with all of our Sponsors.
  2. Connect with Influencers like our CoHosts: Our MCBD CoHosts are picked for a reason–they are “heavy-hitters” in the online world and VERY passionate about literacy and children’s books. As with the Sponsor Pages, take the time to Like, Follow, and connect with our CoHosts.
  3. HASHTAG!: Multicultural Children’s Book Day’s official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld and we encourage everyone to only use that hashtag (and #MCBD2020 as well) when sharing and connecting. On the flip side, searching this hashtag on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest will give everyone a front-row seat to all that is happening with this online celebration. Like, Share, Comment, and RePin whenever possible and the favor will be returned with your information!
  4. Get the Swag: If you are a CoHost, Sponsor, Book Donator or Reviewer, we have special social-media-ready badges/images that you can add to your website and social media efforts. If you don’t have one, email me (Becky) and I will hook you up 🙂 Becky (at) MulticulturalChildrensBookDay (dot) com. These images can also be found in the Files section of the MCBD Facebook Group.
  5. Network: Our private MCBD Facebook Group is 1400+ strong and comprised of reviewers, parents, teachers, authors, publishers, caregivers, and librarians. It’s an amazing place to meet like-minded folks, participate in our weekly sharing prompts, and get/give advice and support to others.
  6. Spread Your Brand: As we enter our 7th season of MCBD, I can tell you with complete honesty that the months leading up to the 1/31/20 event are vibrant, buzzing, exciting, and an exceptional way to gain visibility for your work (whether it’s a review, an award, the fact you are a Sponsor or participant, or just diverse book-related news). TAP INTO THAT BUZZ by PARTICIPATING!!
  7. Be Loud-n-Proud about MCBD: We ask that everyone does their part to spread the #ReadYourWorld news and event details whenever possible. If you would like a list of pre-made social media updates that you can just copy-n-paste, we have that! Just let me know and I will email you that info. Becky (at) MulticulturalChildrensBookDay (dot) com. **Don’t forget about sharing on Goodreads! It’s the only social platform 100% dedicated to book lovers! Read this article on KidLitTV about the Good Things About Goodreads.
  8. Amazon: If you are an Author or Publisher, make sure your Amazon Author Profile is up to date and invite folks to follow your page. That way, when you add a new title or run a sale, those who “follow” your Author Profile on Amazon will get an email update.
  9. Guest Posts: All of our MCBD participants have such a deep passion for diversity in children’s literature and there are some amazingly knowledgeable people involved in this event (including YOU). Guest posts are an excellent way to share your knowledge and work with a fresh audience. MCBD is always looking for book/education/language-related guest posts on our site.
  10. Follow MCBD on Social Media: FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, AND PINTEREST!

 

Filed Under: 2021 MCBD, Free Resources, Marketing for Authors Tagged With: book marketing, Multicultural Children's Book Day

Oh, How Far we Have Come! (And the Places We Have Yet to Go!)

December 12, 2020 by Valarie Budayr

Flash Back Time!

On January 27th, 2012 over 100 parenting, education, and children’s book bloggers showed up for the very first time to review diverse books for kids and teens on their respective blogs. These posts and shares ultimately reached over 2 million eyeballs across Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

As I was sifting through old files, I came across this statement and it made me pretty darn proud as to how far this non-profit has come.

It was almost a decade ago when two moms were concern by some statistics that revealed that 37% of the US population consists of people of color, but only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. Those two forward-thinking, book-loving moms were Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen.

Valarie and Mia not only discussed these findings at great lengths, they decided to work on being a solution to the problem. Together, this dynamic duo used their desire for change to create the first Multicultural Children’s Book Day; a children’s literacy initiative with a mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity but to get more of these types of books into classrooms and libraries.

Fast forward eight years and the Multicultural Children’s Book Day Team wants to take a moment to marvel/applaud/give thanks for how far we have come and to celebrate the places we have yet to go!

“Together the MCCBD team hopes to spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of diversity in children’s literature. Our young readers need to see themselves within the pages of a book and experience other cultures, languages, traditions, and religions within the pages of a book. We encourage readers, parents, teachers, caregivers, and librarians to follow along with the fun book reviews, author visits, event details, a multicultural children’s book linky, and via our hashtag (#ReadYourWorld) on Twitter and other social media.”

As We Enter Our 8th Year, Here are Some “Then and Now” Victories

As this global day of celebrating diversity in children’s literature keeps getting bigger and bigger, here are some specific differences that show how far we have come:

MCBD Event: Year One
  • 100 Book reviewers
  • 14 sponsors
  • 9 CoHosts
  • Instagram was barely a year old and MCBD didn’t have a presence there…YET 😉
  • Books donated to classrooms and deserving readers: roughly 100
  • Free Classroom Kits (Downloadable “kits” that focus on a relevant topic, a diverse booklist that supports that topic, and classroom-friendly activities that allow for deeper discussion and learning): ZERO

MCBD Event: Year EIGHT

  • 625+ Book reviewers
  • 20+Medallion Level Sponsors
  • 30+ Author Sponsors
  • 26 CoHosts and Global CoHosts Representing the USA, London, South Africa, Australia, Greece, Iran, India, Germany, and Mexico!
  • MCBD just surpassed 15,000 on Instagram!
  • Books donated to classrooms and deserving readers: roughly 8,000
  • Free Classroom Kits (Downloadable “kits” that focus on a relevant topic, a diverse booklist that supports that topic, and classroom-friendly activities that allow for deeper discussion and learning): SIX!

What’s Next for Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Through each multicultural book a child reads, it creates a new level of understanding and empathy. When we can see through the eyes of another, when we can share a loved book with a friend regardless of religion, culture, race, etc., we create a sense of belonging not only in our classrooms and homes but more importantly in our communities. The world outside our window becomes ours to shape and create.

This year, as with every year, we are striving more persistently than ever to place as many books into children’s hands as possible. Our unwavering mission is to share our love of reading from a multicultural perspective while also sharing the storytelling talents of authors and publishers alike.

THANK YOU for sharing this wonderful journey with us!

Filed Under: 2021 MCBD, Events, Featured Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, Multicultural Children's Book Day, multicultural children's book day sponsors

A Book Chat With Karin-Fisher Golton

December 10, 2020 by Kristi Bernard

{Guest post by Kristi Bernard of Kristi’s Book Nook}

 

Karin Fisher-Golton is a children’s book author, editor, and poet, with a background in education. At her website she shares her musings, poetry, books, and editing services for writers. Her book “My Amazing Day” is a 2015 BAIPA Book Award winner and was a finalist for the 2013 ForeWord Book of the Year. Karin is new to the MCBD Board of Advisors and you can learn more about her here.

 

MCBD: Hello Karin. Thanks so much for being a part of the MCBD Board of Advisors. We are so excited that you are here. What made you say “yes” to being a part of this event and cause?

Karin: Thank you! I’m thrilled and honored to be part of the MCBD Board of Advisors. There were so many reasons to say “yes.”

Some of the reasons MCBD means so much to me are rooted in my own childhood. I grew up in Berkeley, California, just a few years behind Vice-President-Elect Kamala Harris, in the same school district with its now-famous experimental bussing program. The environment I grew up in was very conscious of how race, economic status, gender, and other factors could impact one’s experience and opportunities. I was paying attention to those things for almost as long as I can remember. My own family had a mix of Jewish, Swedish, and other heritages and traditions. I often did not see myself represented in books nor in other people’s assumptions about how one was spending holidays. I brought these perspectives with me as I became an adult, went to teaching school, and taught children of diverse backgrounds and abilities in a range of settings.

I know from these experiences as well as ones I’ve had as an author, a parent, and a friend how very important it is for people, and especially children, to see themselves and the true diversity of the world in books. I believe that representation is a crucial step in bringing peace and justice to the world.

I love the MCBD hashtag #ReadYourWorld because the “your” both means “read your own, personal world”—as in “see yourself in books” AND means “read your real, diverse world”—as in “see the reality and breadth of the world in books.” Both are important.

I love that MCBD helps move these ideas forward in the form of a celebration. I’ve been involved with MCBD for five years, and I’ve appreciated the spirit and sense of shared vision that all of you who started the event and have kept it going have brought to it.

MCBD: Do you feel that this event has changed the mindset of publishers and agents so that they will actively seek out more authors who write stories of diversity and inclusion?

Karin: Most definitely, I do. In the early 1990s, so almost thirty years ago, when I was studying in an elementary education program that focused on using literature in the classroom, I remember discussions about the lack of diversity in children’s books. In some ways it is shocking and in some ways, it is not, that this is still such an issue today.

The publishing industry is giving this issue much more attention in the past five to six years. A real wake-up event was the March 2014 twin publications of Walter Dean Myers and his son Christopher Myers’s opinion pieces in the New York Times with their perspectives on the lack of diversity in children’s books. Both pieces were prefaced with information from the University of Wisconsin’s Cooperative Book Center’s study, which showed that in 2013 just 93 of the 3,200 books published that year were about Black people. MCBD was just a few years old at that time. It may have helped make the publishing industry more ready to hear those messages. MCBD has certainly been part of spreading the message. The participation in MCBD and the seriousness with which publishers and agents take its message has blossomed abundantly in these recent years.

MCBD: On your website, you share your poetry. You have written books and you’re an editor, you’ve been a graphic designer and teacher. I am sure all of this has kept you busy over the years. If you had to pick one, which would be the one you enjoyed doing the most?

Karin: That’s a tough question. When I think about it different images come to my mind: taking a walk and coming up with a line for a poem that I realize works on multiple levels; reading back a manuscript I’ve written and revised, and experiencing it evoking the feelings and thoughts that I hoped it would; hearing the excitement in editing clients’ voices when they are inspired and know what revision steps they want to take; and seeing a classroom full of energized students working on poetry projects in a variety of ways (sitting, standing, talking!). The common thread is that I love being involved in the creative process.

MCBD: What inspired you to write “My Amazing Day” which shares the wonders of everyday life?

Karin: My friend, graphic designer Elizabeth Iwamiya called me one day and told me that she and her friend photographer Lori A. Cheung (now my friend too) wanted to write a book to help babies and toddlers start lifetime habits of gratitude. She asked if I would consider joining the project as the author. I loved that idea. I already knew that gratitude had made happy times in my life more joyful and helped shift my mood in very hard times of my life. I loved the idea of sharing that with very young children and their families. It was an interesting challenge to consider how to convey that abstract concept to such a young audience. I decided to start from a place of wonder, which comes naturally to people who are new to the world and to end in an ritual of gratitude, because that is how we form habits.

MCBD: You have retold Aesop’s Fables for readers with dyslexia. One of my all-time favorites is the Tortoise and the Hare. Why take on a project like this and how does it help those readers who are dyslexic?

Karin: There are so many great Aesop’s fables! It was very fun to look into many variations of them and then come up with versions that worked for the format.

I was approached by Susan Barton of the Barton Reading and Spelling System, which is a program that tutors used to teach children and adults with dyslexia to read. Susan wanted real books that students could read at the end of each of the earlier levels of the program. For the first set of books I wrote, this meant books written almost entirely in one-syllable words with a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern and regular vowel sounds. Luckily there were a few sight words like “the” and “said.”

When I asked about the audience for the books, I learned that readers would be anywhere from third grade through adult and that some of them would be reading a book on their own for the first time—what an honor! I chose to adapt folktales because they appeal to a wide range of ages, and I liked the idea of a classic story being someone’s first book.

MCBD: When you work with writers and help them edit their book projects, what are some of the things you find are common mistakes?

Karin: When I work with writers, I’m always thinking about how I can better help them achieve their visions and connect with young readers. We start with a conversation so I can understand what that vision is. I really don’t think of what they do as mistakes, but I provide ideas for improving what they’ve done.

Even correcting what might be called “grammar errors” has a larger purpose, which is to keep writing aligned with common practice so that the text is easy to understand. And sometimes we break those rules for effect.

One area that I often find myself commenting about is the point of view—usually, young readers find it easiest to relate to a single point of view that is that of a child. Authors who get to know all of their characters can easily jump into the heads of characters other than the protagonist.

I also often look at vocabulary—I like to help authors find a balance of using interesting words without having so many that are challenging that kids will be distracted from the story.

And, of course, I definitely look at how the books represent the diversity of the world we live in.

MCBD: What three pieces of advice would you give a person who is thinking about writing for children?

Karin: 1. Read, read, read—read lots of books in your genre. Get to know your library and local independent bookstore! MCBD on January 29, 2021, is a great way to discover books.

  1. Write, write, write—just like anything else writing is a skill that will improve if you practice, so write drafts, journal, write character sketches, write poetry. A useful exercise for new children’s book writers is to type up the text of existing books so you can get a feel for what text looks like and how it reads in manuscript form.
  2. Get critique partners—not only can you benefit from their feedback, but reading others’ work and identifying and verbalizing what is working and not working is very valuable. Remember, though, that the author is the author–a critique is just one person’s input.

And I’m going to sneak in a #4 here: Join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. It has a multitude of helpful resources for new and established children’s book writers and illustrators.

MCBD: What are you currently working on?

Karin: I’m currently working on a bilingual picture book in Yiddish and English. Yiddish is a language that was almost lost in my family because of the Holocaust and assimilation. When I started learning Yiddish, I was deeply moved to hear it spoken, not just the isolated words that are in the popular culture, and particularly Jewish culture—but as a language with a sound and rhythm. I’m writing a book so that children can experience and enjoy hearing the language. I see it as a sort of love poem from the ancestors.

MCBD: On a final note. What more do you think MCBD could do to keep the momentum of this event moving throughout the year? We would love to hear your suggestions.

Karin: As a new member of the Board of Advisors, I am just starting to think about that question. My first thoughts are that there might be ways to organize the website to make it an easier-to-use resource throughout the year and give teachers, parents, and kids each their own clear route to find books and explore what it means to “read your world.”

MCBD: Karin thank you so much for taking the time to answer all of these questions. We’ve learned so much more about you and you are amazing! You are invested in seeing more books geared towards diversity and inclusion and are creating them as well. Thank you for all that you are doing for readers and writers.

Karin Fisher-Golton is the author of the award-winning board book, My Amazing Day: A Celebration of Wonder and Gratitude, four folktales for a reading program for people with dyslexia, and poems in several anthologies. As a freelance children’s book editor, she helps authors realize their visions and reach young audiences effectively. She’s given particular attention to how children’s books reflect our world since studying children’s literature in an Elementary Education program, almost thirty years ago. Her writing life has been interspersed with teaching children in a variety of lively settings, most recently as an afterschool poetry teacher.

Karin worked with the MCBD team to change the yearly date of MCBD so that it would not conflict with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day designated by the United Nations “to instill the memory of the tragedy in future generations to prevent genocide from occurring again.” Read more about that here: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/tag/karin-fisher-golton/.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area—just a few miles from Berkeley, California where she was raised—Karin feels fortunate to live in one of the most diverse areas in the world. Learn more about Karin and her work at: https://karinfisher-golton.com.

Filed Under: Author Visits, Guest Posts Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, author visit, Children's Book Author, Multicultural Childrens Book Day Board of Advisors

Diverse Picture Books that Showcase the Jewish Holidays

December 8, 2020 by Kristi Bernard

{Guest post by Erica S. Perl}

When you look at picture books featuring Jewish characters, you often see pink skin and dark curly hair. Yet, obviously, that’s not what all of us look like. Happily, this situation is changing and there’s a growing body of children’s literature that showcases diversity within the Jewish experience.

Here are some noteworthy examples:

Jewish holiday books with diverse casts of characters

It’s Challah Time: 20th Anniversary edition, by Latifa Berry Kropf, photographs by Moshe Shai

In this classic (illustrated with photographs) book, a diverse preschool class works together to make challah. Some kids wear kippot and all share a common goal of creating braided bread for Shabbat.

Happy Birthday, Trees, by Karen Rostoker Gruber, illustrated by Holly Sterling

On Tu B’Shevat, a diverse group of children works together to plant a tree. Then, they celebrate by wishing the tree a happy birthday and looking forward to when it blossoms the following year.

Chik Chak Shabbat, by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Krysten Brooker

When Goldie Simcha doesn’t joyfully throw open her door to welcome everyone into her apartment for a meal of her famous cholent, her multicultural neighbors wonder what is wrong and try to save the day.

The Ninth Night of Hanukkah, by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by Shahar Kober

It’s Hanukkah, and Max and Rachel are excited to light the menorah in their family’s new apartment. But, unfortunately, their Hanukkah box is missing. Luckily, their diverse neighbors are happy to help, offering thoughtful and often humorous stand-in items each night. And then, just as Hanukkah is about to end, Max and Rachel, inspired by the shamash (“helper”) candle, have a brilliant idea: they’re going to celebrate the Ninth Night of Hanukkah as a way to say thanks to everyone who’s helped them!

Books about multi-racial/multi-ethnicity/multi-lingual Jewish families

Ezra’s Big Shabbat Question, by Aviva Brown, illustrated by Anastasia Kanavaliuk
Ezra, an earnest and curious Black Jewish boy, seeks advice from his family and his rabbi about whether it’s permissible to tie knots on Shabbat in this #ownvoices picture book.

Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas, by Pamela Ehrenberg, illustrated by Anjan Sarkar

Instead of latkes, this Jewish/Indian family celebrates Hanukkah with tasty fried dosas. To her brother’s chagrin, little Sadie won’t stop climbing on everything, even while preparing the dosas. But before the day is done, Sadie’s climbing skills may be exactly what is needed to save the day.

Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup, by Pamela Mayer, illustrated by Deborah Melmon

Sophie has a Jewish bubbe and a Chinese nai nai. The two grandmothers are quick to point out the differences between their dumplings, but Sophie has a plan to show her elders how good a mixture of ‘a little Jewish, a little Chinese―a lot like me’ can be.

Buen Shabbat, Shabbat Shalom, by Sarah Aroeste, illustrated by Ayesha L. Rubio

A Sephardic family celebrates the Sabbath in this bilingual English/Ladino board book with a recurring ‘Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom!’ on every double-page spread. What sets this book apart is the use of Ladino, a Spanish-derived language of the Jewish Diaspora not widely spoken worldwide.

Jalapeno Bagels, by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Robert Casilla

This is an oldie but a goodie: Pablo, a boy with a Jewish father and a Mexican mother, struggles with what to bring to school for International Day (the book’s title is a bit of a spoiler, admittedly).

 

Erica S. Perl is the author of more than thirty popular and critically-acclaimed books for young readers. Her middle-grade novels include All Three Stooges (National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor Book) and When Life Gives You O.J. (Sydney Taylor Notable Book, ALA Notable Book. Her picture books include Chicken Butt!, Goatilocks and the Three Bears, and Ferocious Fluffity. She also writes the Truth or Lie!, Arnold and Louise, Lucky Dogs, and Craftily Ever After (as “Martha Maker) series. And she keeps an Instagram cartoon journal @espcrawl. Visit her at ericaperl.com and follow her online @ericaperl.

Filed Under: Guest Posts, Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, Children's Book Author, Jewish Culture, Jewish Holiday books, Multicultural Jewish Culture

Multicultural Idiom Learning Fun: A Language Lizard Giveaway

December 5, 2020 by Kristi Bernard

{Guest Post from Language Lizard}

Congratulations to Mindy R. from Rachel Kohl Community Library in Glen Mills, PA who won a  set of Language Lizard Idiom Books in English and Simplified Chinese!

These colorful books come with free teaching resources are a great way to teach English idioms in a multicultural context. Use them during Idiom Week (Jan 24-30)!

Multicultural Idiom Learning Fun

 

Language Lizard is kicking off the holiday season with a special December giveaway, just for Multicultural Children’s Book Day readers! Read on to learn about the Language Lizard Idiom Book Series, and how to enter for a chance to win a FREE set of your own.

What is an Idiom?

An idiom is a phrase with an underlying meaning that’s generally agreed upon by a large group of people. The meaning of the phrase can’t be understood by understanding the words alone.

Some common English language idioms in the US are:

  • A breath of fresh air
  • A piece of cake
  • Over the moon
  • When pigs fly

Thanks to familiarity, these phrases are easily understood by a native English speaker in the US. But we can see they are indeed idioms, because their meanings are more than the sum of their words.

Look up idioms from other cultures, and you can see their meanings are not immediately discernible. For example, it wouldn’t be obvious that the Russian phrase “to hang noodles on someone’s ears” means that you are fooling them.

Multicultural Learning With Idioms

Learning idioms is a great way to celebrate diversity and bring multicultural learning to students. It’s also a great way to enhance the school-home connection. Students can ask their parents for strange or funny idioms in their home languages to share with the class. Classmates can try to guess the meanings, or compare idioms from different languages. Some examples:

In English, a sad person may “have the blues,” but in French, that person would “have the cockroach.” Or, in English, a practical person is “down to earth,” and in Spanish, that person would be described as having their “feet on the earth”.

Idioms Are Especially Important For Language Learners

Idioms are an important part of language learning, too. Every language and culture has thousands (maybe even tens of thousands) of them, so there’s a significant amount of casual communication conducted by way of idioms.

Without lessons in local idioms, communicating effectively is going to be more difficult. Plus, learning idioms is one of the most fun parts of learning a new language!

Remember to have students practice how to use each idiom properly since this type of communication can be very nuanced. It’s best to teach idioms verbally, and have students practice by role-playing.

Language Lizard Idiom Books Support Virtual & In-Person Learning

Language Lizard Idiom Books are a great resource for teachers in virtual, in-person, or blended classrooms, as well as homeschooling families. They are available in English and 9 language editions, offering literal translations and meanings in a second language. Illustrations show characters and settings from around the world, providing an opportunity to teach children about other cultures and communities.

Free Multicultural Lesson Plans

Language Lizard Idiom Books come with links to 3 free lesson plans:

  • Understanding Idioms and Figurative Language
  • Learning Color, Nature, Food, and Animal related Idioms
  • Understanding the History and Context of Idioms

The lesson plans include an exploration of idioms in a multicultural context and provide exercises that students can do with their families, even those that speak a language other than English at home.

Idiom Activities & Resources

Language Lizard Idiom Books come with many fun, free activities. Here are just a few of them:

  • Animals in Mexico: fill-in-the-blank short story using animal idioms
  • Hindu Holi Festival: fill-in-the-blank short story using color idioms
  • Hanami “Flower Viewing” in Japan: fill-in-the-blank short story using nature idioms
  • Guess the National Animal Activity
  • Animal Idiom Games Video
  • Multicultural Street Foods Activity
  • Favorite Foods Activity

Each Idiom Book also includes resources and links to learn the in-depth history and background information about all the idioms that are featured in the books.

Perfect for Take-Home Learning Packs

Teachers can create “learning packs” for students to take home that include idiom books in their home language, along with the free included activities. It’s a great way to strengthen school-home connections, and non-English speaking parents will appreciate being included in their child’s learning.

eBook versions of Language Lizard Idioms Books are also available, to make sharing online even easier. They are available through most major eBook platforms, including Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Overdrive.

Enter to Win a Set of Language Lizard Idiom Books

Enter for a chance to win a FREE set of Language Lizard Idiom Books! Head to our Giveaway Page and include “MCBD” in the comments section. A winner will be selected at the end of December. (As a bonus, you will be included in our other Language Lizard book giveaways, too!)

Free Bonus: Idiom Word Searches

To help jump-start the Idiom learning fun, MCBD readers can access our FREE Idiom Word Searches now!

What are the strangest or most amusing idioms you’ve heard in any language? Share them here, or on social media and tell us why #IdiomsRock!

Filed Under: Giveaway, Guest Posts, Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: Language Lizard, Language Lizard giveaway, Language Lizard Idiom Books, multicultural learning

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