Multicultural Children's Book Day

#ReadYourWorld

Writing? No Thanks. (Thoughts from author Erin Dealey)

by

Guest post from author Erin Dealey

You might know a child like me: one you’d NEVER expect to write children’s books. One who thinks of writing as very serious business–definitely not fun.

I loved school. I loved recess with my friends, playing outside. Huge thanks to my teachers who encouraged every spark of creativity. Oh how I loved reading to the kindergartners, or opening that box of brand new books from the Book Club. (I can still smell them! Can You?) Thank you, Mr. Markey, who assigned 6th-grade autobiographies, and did not grumble when I turned in a biography of me–written by my shadow…

Endless gratitude to growing up in Oakland CA, on a hill where you learned how to stop your bike or jump off your skateboard before the stop sign at the bottom; in a neighborhood where kindness was the norm, and we played together, looked after each other.

My favorite place to do homework was on top of our garage, where a sawed-off footstool (Thanks, Dad!) made the perfect desk, surrounded by the neighbor’s treetops. I liked Math because there was a process to follow to get the right answer and, if my answer was wrong, there was a formula to fix it. With writing, not so much. To me, it felt like you had to be psychic to figure out what the teacher wanted. So, nope, writing wasn’t my thing.

An excerpt from my very first journal. (Proof I never expected to write books some day!)

Until Mrs. Uhrig made us write in journals. In junior high, that journal often understood me better than anyone. I wrote notes to friends on gum wrappers, the teeny-tiniest writing the better. We’d copy the words to our favorite songs so we could memorize the lyrics and sing along. On the way home from school, we’d crack ourselves up with puns and jokes. You know–like what if we started a rock band called Joe Banana and the Bunch, music with appeal?

But WRITING, the stuff you did for a grade–No thanks. To this day, I remember 10th grade English, when I read my alliteration poem aloud and the whole class laughed. Perhaps that’s why, Senior year, when my friends took Creative Writing, I took Drama.

No surprise when I entered a university as a Math major and French minor. Until a guidance counselor saw I was taking all those English classes and asked why. Which lead to me graduating as an English major with a minor in Art. (Surprise!) Soon, a teaching credential in hand, I taught high school English and Theater. The perk was I KNEW those kids who didn’t think they could write. My Creative Writing class was full of them–seniors who were avoiding College Bound English. I’m proud to say we wrote every day. Happily. When you find your voice, words are power.

The Writing Project (Area3/ UCDavis) furthered my conviction that good writing wasn’t just perfect sentence structure and mechanics. It’s a process I love. As a teacher who writes, I tell students that after you know the rules, you begin to see where you don’t need to follow them.

I used to think I started writing when I couldn’t find the plays I needed for my theater kids to perform. In fact, I learned cadence and rhythm from Motown, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, and Shakespeare. I learned to play with words and rhyme on those walks home from school. I am thankful every day for those who encouraged me to think outside the box– or on top of our garage.

That was my writing path.

Who knew?

I loved words all along. 🙂

Assembly at my Author Visit at Maxwell Park Elementary School –Where I went to school!

NOTE from MCBD: We are lucky enough to have Erin as an Author Sponsor for MCBD2019! View her, and all of the other amazing Author Sponsors, on your 2019 Author Sponsor Page. #ReadYourWorld!

 

Author Erin Dealey writes in many genres, from board books to YA, including K IS FOR KINDERGARTEN (Sleeping Bear/illus. Joseph Cowman); GRANDPA’S FAVORITE and companion book GRANDMA’S FAVORITE (2018), as well as BABIES COME FROM AIRPORTS –a kids’-

Author Erin Dealey

eye view of international adoption– Kane Miller / illus. Luciana Navarro Powell; and DECK THE WALLS (Sleeping Bear Press/ illus. Nick Ward).

When her initial career goal of Olympic Gold Medal Tetherball Player didn’t pan out, she became a teacher, theater director, actor, mom, and author. Among Dealey’s forthcoming picture books are SNOWGLOBE WISHES (illus. Claire Shorrock/ Sleeping Bear, winter 2019); PETER EASTER FROG (Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/Atheneum, illus. G. Brian Karas, 2021), and DEAR EARTH…letters from Room 5 (Harper Collins). Dealey’s first picture books with Atheneum, GOLDIE LOCKS HAS CHICKEN POX, and LITTLE BO PEEP CAN’T GET TO SLEEP have taken her to school visits as far south as Brazil and as far north as Tok, Alaska. Dealey is a former SCBWI Co-RA for CA North/Central, frequent conference presenter, and the social media/ PR Coordinator for East West Literary.

Connect with Erin on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and check out her blog at http://www.erindealey.com.</p

A Diverse Picture Book for the Holidays: The St. Nicholas Day Snow

by

There are so many wonderful ways to celebrate the arrival of St. Nicholas!

Shoes or stockings? Horse or sleigh?

Does St. Nicholas visit on December 6 or on Christmas Eve?

The beliefs and traditions are as diverse as the people who celebrate them.

The Birth of a Children’s Book Career

Author and long-time Multicultural Children’s Book Day supporter and Sponsor Charlotte Riggle spent twenty years pulling together the delightful book, Catherine’s Pascha.  The diverse picture book for ages 4-8 was released in 2015 to rave reviews.

Catherine's Pascha

“I had written it when my children were small,” Riggle shared. “But I didn’t find a publisher until they were all grown up. And I had so much fun working with my publisher and editor, Becky Hughes. She took the manuscript I’d created and brought it to life. There were times when she’d send me a draft of an illustration, and it made me cry. It was such an amazing process.”

When the book was finally released in February of 2015, the response from those who read it blew both Riggle and Hughes away. Children loved it and even adults told the duo that the book had made them cry. “And you don’t cry over just any picture book. I knew that we had created something special. And I wanted to do it again.”

Inspired by her first book, Riggle shared that she knew that Book Two would be something even more special. Why? Because it would include St. Nicholas; the most universally loved saint in the Christian world.

“I knew that, in the next story, The St. Nicholas Day Snow, I wanted to spend more time with Elizabeth,” Riggle recalled. “She’s Catherine’s best friend, but you really don’t get to know her in Catherine’s Pascha. I kept toying with story ideas that would bring her out more. I drafted one about her celebrating her name day – her patron saint is Elizabeth the Dragon Slayer. But Becky, being my publisher as well as my illustrator, was more practical. She thought I ought to look for a story with a more universal appeal.”

Saint Nicolas Day Snow

In St. Nicholas Day Snow, a huge snowstorm hits Elizabeth’s small community on Saint Nicholas Day. But, of course, it’s about more than that. The story starts on the morning of the Eve of St. Nicholas. Elizabeth’s grandmother is sick, and her parents have to leave town to make sure she’s okay. So Elizabeth is spending the day and the night with Catherine.

Elizabeth’s parents have totally forgotten that it’s St. Nicholas Eve. In their family, St. Nicholas visits on St. Nicholas Eve and leaves gifts in the children’s shoes. In Catherine’s family, St. Nicholas visits on Christmas Eve. So, on top of being worried about her grandmother, Elizabeth is now worried that St. Nicholas won’t visit her. She argues with Peter, Catherine’s little brother, about when and how St. Nicholas visits.

Peter’s godfather comes by when the argument is at its peak, and he resolves it with a story that explains why the traditions are different. Then he lets Catherine’s parents know that it has started to snow.

The girls make cookies and play in the snow. Catherine’s mom addresses Elizabeth’s worries with compassion and prayer. And the snow keeps falling.

“That’s the main story. I put just enough about Elizabeth’s grandmother in the story to have a reason for the sleepover,” Riggle shared. “Becky created a second story, a wordless story about Elizabeth’s parents and her grandmother, that runs alongside the main story, and meshes with it beautifully.”

Two Important Threads Running Through The St. Nicholas Day Snow

When asked what Charlotte and Becky would like parents, teachers, and librarians know about The Saint Nicholas Day Snow, Riggle said, “When we talk about multicultural books, we often talk about mirrors and windows. For children in the culture depicted in the book, it’s a mirror. For others, it’s a window. The Saint Nicholas Day Snow is a mirror book for children with disabilities, who rarely see themselves in books. And it’s an absolutely lovely window for people who aren’t familiar with the many ways that St. Nicholas is honored and celebrated.”

“We don’t try to explain everything about St. Nicholas, or even try to settle the debate about the details as an authoritative book about him,” Hughes added. “This book is mostly about some of the ways St. Nicholas Day would be celebrated in an Orthodox Christian household. We touch on the oldest story about him, but even then, we had our narrator state that story as “the way my father told me.” Trying to get completely accurate information (the way our 21st-century science-loving culture most frequently defines accurately) is almost impossible 1800 years removed. Historians know this: we’re thrilled when we can find more than one source for some people’s lives. We’re thrilled when we can find sources about a particular personality in another contemporary culture! THAT’s Christmas for a historian!”

A Diverse Picture Book for the Holidays: The St. Nicholas Day Snow

About The Author

Author Charlotte Riggle

Charlotte Riggle is a writer, a reader, and a passionate advocate of picture books. Her first book, Catherine’s Pascha, is as beautiful as Pascha itself, with words that sparkle and illustrations that glow with the joy of the feast.

Her first book took 20 years from start to finish (you can read the story here) but her most recent book, The Saint Nicholas Day Snow, took less than two. It follows Catherine and her best friend Elizabeth during a surprise snowstorm on St. Nicholas Eve.

Catherine’s Pascha was a finalist in the 2015 Best Book Awards.

Charlotte lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest, in a house full of books and music and a fluffy brown dog. She shares faith, hope, and picture books on her website, on Facebook and Pinterest, and on Instagram.

And she shares homemade cookies whenever she can. Sign up for her newsletter and get a dozen of her favorite cookie recipes!

About The Illustrator

Children's book illustrator R.J. Hughes

Illustrator, Editor and Publisher Becky Hughes, has a degree in art from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana and came to be a book illustrator a roundabout way.

Initially, she started as a jeweler’s apprentice, then worked as a museum archivist for the USS Silversides Museum in Muskegon Michigan. Part of that job was creating graphics, images, and text for exhibits. It was while she worked at the USS Silversides Museum that she met Mr. Al Jacobson, the last surviving member of the USS Flier’s final patrol.  Jacobson was desperate his story not die with him so his lost crewmates would have a memorial.  Hughes and Jacobson worked together to produce the story, Surviving the Flier, and Hughes supplied the graphics work for that book, as well as the USS Flier Project blog.

Those graphics caught the eye of her freelance editor, who was instrumental in connecting her to author Charlotte Riggle. Since that day, illustrating children’s books has become her passion.

Diversity in Children’s Books (and life) -The New Norm

by

Guest post by Dr.Stephanie Oguchi

As I sit here thinking about how I want to share my childhood memories to the public, I can’t help but to daydream about how I got this far, as a Nigerian American Doctor of Occupational Therapy from the big city of Houston Texas, who was bullied because of my differences as a child. As an adult, I should’ve been scared of the world, not open to change and redirect any attention off of myself due to fear of rejection. However, I actually thank the boy who made fun of my differences because it triggered emotions that allowed me to tap into my inner strengths and learn to control my fears, ambition and leadership qualities.

When I was a kid in the 80’s I really didn’t know about any other culture, except mine, which was the Nigerian culture. I knew my family ate a lot of fish, rice and moi moi (an authentic Nigerian dish derived from beans). My parents would dress in their traditional Nigerian clothes, my mom would thread my hair during the summertime, and Nigerian parties lasted till 4 am; which was all normal.

One day, my culture was suddenly seen as “abnormal.” My threaded hairstyle was no longer a normal hairstyle, according to the American kids on the bus. It was the butt of jokes and ridicule which really bothered me as a kid. I told my mom to take out the thread in my hair, which was an easy decision to make as a kid. I was vulnerable and didn’t want to be harassed. I conformed to a “ normal” hairstyle of braids with barrettes to appease the other kids and to eliminate the negative and unwanted attention that was given to me.

Now as I think about it as an adult, I kick myself for conforming to everyone else’s “norm” rather than they conform to my “norm”.

Diversity in Children’s Books:

This experience allowed me to share my story through my new book series called The Colors of Me: Chi-Chi’s Hair. It focuses on the message of loving your differences and respecting others through various characters. To some, it seems ridiculous that I would hold onto this memory for over 30 years, but for me, it is a memory that could help other kids deal with being rejected because of their differences. Fast forward to present day 2018, being diverse and different has become the new norm and a part of my Nigerian culture which once was ridiculed, is showcased all around the world and depicted as beautiful, enriched, and unified.

In conclusion, we have to continue empowering our kids to care for themselves and protect each other which will trickle down for generations to come.

The Colors of Me, now available on Amazon and B&N!

Chi-Chi loves her new hairdo and can’t wait to show it off at school! When the other kids see how different her hair is, they are not very kind.

Read along to find out how Chi-Chi learns to love her culture and teaches others that being different is wonderful.

Dr. Stephanie Oguchi is a native of Houston, Texas. She attended Pennsylvania State University and received her Bachelors of Science in BioBehavioral Health. In 2010, she received her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Seton Hall University. Last of all, she received her Doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy from Quinnipiac University in 2018. She is a second generation child of wonderful, supportive, and hardworking Nigerian parents as well as the oldest of 4 children. Some of her hobbies include traveling the world, exploring art/music, and volunteering in her community.

Connect with Dr. Stephanie via her website, 

Facebook:@Thecolorsofme

Instagram:@thecolorsofmeseries

Twitter:@Thecolorsofme

Emily: 10-Year-Old Champion of Rainforest Animals in Need

by

As a publisher of beautiful children’s books, Crickhollow Books is committed to quality over quantity.

Crickhollow Books and Crispin Books are intertwined imprints of their indie book publishing house that is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are also known for their amazing catalog of picture books that shine the spotlight on topics with social or environmental impact. With titles like Doyli to the Rescue, Tony and His Elephants, and Tortuga Squad, they have much to be proud of!

author Cathleen Burnham

Crickhollow also offers a lot of middle-grade fiction focused on good values and a variety of books for adults, including books for writers on how to write well and get published.

“We love all our books just like parents love their kids,” shared Crickhollow Editor, Philip Martin. “Our homepage is a great showcase of what we do. As an indie press, we are like a parent that helps to bring something new and fresh into the world and then works for years to help it find its place, to grow to be part of a literary community of caring readers. Although we are microscopic in comparison to the big mega-houses, we work hard and take risks to produce quality books that can make a difference.”

Crickhollow Books That Make a Difference:

Emily: 10-Year-Old Champion of Rainforest Animals in Need by Cathleen Burnham

(Available September 2018)

Meet Emily, a girl who is active in a youth conservation program to save rainforest animals in western Costa Rica. She helps care for an orphaned baby sloth at an animal sanctuary and participates in other activities from dramatic presentations and clean-up efforts to the sponsorship of rope bridges installed to help squirrel monkeys cross busy roads near her small town. The story highlights the impact young people can have on protecting local wild animals and preserving natural habitats.

Emily: 10-Year-Old Champion of Rainforest Animals in Need is a photodocumentary book by journalist and writer Cathleen Burnham, the fourth in her WAKA (World Association of Kids and Animals) series of books featuring kids involved in wild animal rescue efforts around the globe, praised by School Library Journal as “books about compassionate efforts by children that inspire readers to take positive action … a wonderful addition to most collections”.

This book introduces Emily, a ten-year-old girl active in a youth conservation program to save rainforest animals in western Costa Rica called Kids Saving The Rainforest (KSTR).

Emily helps care for an orphaned baby sloth at a local animal sanctuary and participates in other activities from dramatic skits for tourists and clean-up sweeps to the sponsorship of rope bridges to help squirrel monkeys cross busy roads near her small town.

The story highlights the impact young people can have on protecting local wild animals and preserving natural habitats.

The conservation message is clear and is skillfully blended into the glimpse of everyday life of active kids and their families who are involved in small-scale, grassroots animal-rescue efforts.

This is Book 4 in the WAKA series of books featuring kids involved in wild animal rescue projects around the world.

About the Author

Cathleen Burnham is also the author of the highly acclaimed books, Doyli to the Rescue, Tony and His Elephants, and Tortuga Squad.

For the past fifteen years, Cathleen has traveled the globe, bringing back stories of the world’s remote cultures, from the Hodzabe People of Tanzania to the hill tribes of Thailand to the peoples of the Amazon. Her work in all areas of television production has included stints at NBC, PBS, and Fox. For the past eighteen years, she’s also been a Wildlife Rehabilitator under New York state D.E.C. board member Barbara Hollands’ license. This experience has given her an insight into animal behavior that’s served her well in both her writing and photography of wildlife across the world.

Cathleen is drawn to journalism because she believes in its paramount importance in a society and because she loves to learn the stories behind the planet’s people, animals, and places.

“Cathleen Burnham’s children’s book is a delightful book for all ages. It is the best kind of nonfiction – engaging as well as informative…. Burnham shows us how even young children can make a difference in the world. Young and old alike will be enthralled with this book.” – Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, Children’s Book Author

BONUS MATERIALS! To learn more about our WAKA (World Association of Kids and Animals) series and the stories behind each book, plus teacher’s guides and more resources, visit: www.WAKABooks.org

A Q&A with Author Cathleen Burnham

1. What inspired you to choose this story?

Cathleen: The ingenious, simple, and inexpensive solution of monkey bridges — that a child came up with!

The ropes strung across busy highways saved so many endangered monkeys’ lives. No big organization needed. No big studies launched. Just some kids thinking up an idea and putting it into action. I thought this story needed to be told to as wide an audience as possible.

In Costa Rica, as humans expand their towns into animals’ territory, many endangered animals are threatened by cars, or by eating foods given to them by tourists that make them sick. I also loved that Emily approached animal protection from several angles: creatively writing a play to educate tourists, helping at a wildlife rehabilitation center, and taking a few minutes now and then to help with clean-up sweeps with other kids. I want the message of these books to be that kids can do a few things in their free time to help local wildlife and make a positive impact. Emily was a great, real-life role model of ways kids can help.

I hope Emily: Champion of Rainforest Animals sparks excitement for kids and gets them thinking about how they can help the environment, wherever they live.

2. In your own words, tell us what the book is about?

Cathleen: Emily: Champion of Rainforest Animals tells about a real-life 10-year-old girl active in programs to save rainforest animals in western Costa Rica. She helps care for an orphaned baby sloth at an animal sanctuary and participates in other activities from dramatic presentations and clean-up efforts to the sponsorship of rope bridges to help squirrel monkeys cross busy roads near her small town. The story highlights the impact young people can have on protecting local wild animals and preserving natural habitats. This is Book 4 in the WAKA series of books featuring kids involved in wild animal rescue projects around the world.

3. If you were to let parents, teachers, and librarians know ONE THING about Emily: 10-Year-Old Champion of Rainforest, what would that one thing be?

Cathleen: Kids can have a real impact on the world around them! Kids are not just the next generations of caretakers of our planet, they also can do things now to make a difference. The WAKA series (4 books so far) are stories of kid power, stories about real kids to inspire kids and parent to empathize with the wild world around them, to see how we are all connected on this planet, and to find ways to make a difference.

4. If you were to give any advice to the those who dream of writing and publishing a book, what advice would you give?

Cathleen: Write often! Even if you feel your writing is terrible at first. It WILL get better and eventually get to be excellent if you just keep writing. Also, don’t limit your story trying to imitate what everyone else has already written or worrying about who will publish it. That can get in the way of your imagination. Just tell the story that spills out of your imagination, and then make it the best it can be.

5. What about Emily: 10-Year-Old Champion of Rainforest do you like best?

Cathleen:  I like all of the things that happen in the story, like the harrowing story of the baby sloth falling out of the tree, or the juvenile squirrel monkey saving the rest of its monkey troupe. But my favorite is the sloth walk — Emily taking the baby sloth for walks in the forest to help it learn about its environment. I loved that a kid got to do this, to hold a baby sloth and give it tons of love.

Kids Saving The Rainforest, featured in the Emily picture book, is such a remarkable organization.

It was started in Costa Rica by a group of kids and adults who had no qualifications except loving wildlife and wanting to protect it. I was so lucky to get to visit them, and I even got to take the baby sloth on a sloth walk myself. The sloth’s fur was very coarse. You really did have to hold a stuffed animal against your body, because those claws are sharp and they hurt when they cling to you – we humans don’t have thick, coarse fur to protect us. The little sloth moved very slowly, and it was adorable the way it would slooooowly turn its head to look at me with big, soft eyes. It was one of my favorite experiences.

To learn more about our WAKA (World Association of Kids and Animals) series and the stories behind each book, plus teacher’s guides and more resources, visit: www.WAKABooks.org

 

Connect with Cathleen and Crickhollow Books via their website.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 Poster Reveal! (Artwork by Julie Flett)

by

Saying “Thank you” never seems like quite enough when working with the amazing children’s illustrators/authors that make our Official MCBD poster possible every year. This year is no exception.

We felt Julie Flett would be the perfect artist to create the Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 Poster. As a Cree-Metis author, illustrator, and artist she has a passion for diversity in children’s literature and a portfolio of talent that is mind-blowing! With an assist from designer, Robin Mitchell Cranfield, the result of the MCBD2019 was a home run!

About Julie

Author/Illustrator/Artist, Julie Flett

She has received many awards including the 2017 Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature for her work on When We Were Alone by David Robertson (High Water Press), the 2016 American Indian Library Association Award for Best Picture Book for Little You by Richard Van Camp (Orca Books), and she is the three-time recipient of the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Award for Owls See Clearly at Night; A Michif Alphabet, by Julie Flett, Dolphin SOS, by Roy Miki and Slavia Miki (Tradewind Books), and My Heart Fills with Happiness, by Monique Gray Smith (Orca Books).

Her own Wild Berries (Simply Read Books) was featured in The New York Times and included among Kirkus’s Best Children’s Books of 2013. Wild Berries was also chosen as Canada’s First Nation Communities Read title selection for 2014–2015.

 A Q&A with Julie Flett

  1. What are you most proud of as an author/illustrator?

Julie: A few things: that as an artist, I can contribute something to my community, toward language resurgence; that I can work with and share stories that we didn’t have access to as children; that I can work with some of my favorite human beings, children; and that I’m building a livelihood with the work.

 

  1. Where do you pull your inspiration from as an artist?

Julie: It always starts with the story, stories that connect us. I’m also inspired by painters, filmmakers, and children’s bookmakers from earlier periods; Ezra Jack Keats, Inuit print-maker Pitseolak Ashoona, and animator Yuriy Norshteyn, to name a few.

 

  1. What was your inspiration for the official 2019 MCBD poster?

Julie: The everyday magic that happens through story and being together.

::drum roll:: Multicultural Children’s Book Day and author/illustrator, Julie Flett, would like to proudly share our official poster for MCBD2019!

Connect with Julie on her website and Twitter

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 Poster

**Click HERE or click the poster image to download your free copy!

Again, we owe many huge thanks to all of the talented illustrators for donating their time to create a poster on behalf of Multicultural Children’s Book Day! We appreciate the support and passion that is equal to ours 🙂

To view our beautiful posters from past MCBDs, go here to our Gallery.

Our Poverty Classroom Kit and 2019 MCBD Sponsorship Info!

by

Now that the kids are back in school (or college for a few of the MCBD team) things are “full steam ahead” with getting ready for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019.



First, 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.

2019 MCBD SPONSORSHIPS

Medallion and Author level Sponsorships for MCBD 2019 are OPEN!

“I’m excited for this, last year I had great results with promotions after participating. It also made me feel much closer to the kidlit community and introduced me to great bloggers. Thanks for opening up the event to all publishers.”~Author Elsa Takakoka

GO HERE to view the levels, download the Sponsor Packet, and lock in your 2019 Sponsorship ASAP.

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

FREE Downloadable Classroom Poverty Kit: Understanding Poverty in America

by

Multicultural Children’s Book Day

 Classroom Poverty Kit 2019

Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate | Understanding Poverty in America

Is ready for download!

Understanding Poverty in America

As our sixth Multicultural Children’s Book Day holiday approaches on January 25, 2019, we are thrilled to have you as part of our amazing community of supporters! With enthusiasm, optimism, and hope, we are preparing for MCBD 2019 and hope you will, again, join our celebration of diversity through children’s books.

We are fortunate to live in a country that is a melting pot of diversity and land of opportunity. But not all those living in The Land of the Free have what they need for basic everyday living.

Current estimates in the U.S. show that the official poverty rate is somewhere around 12.7 percent, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 estimates. That year, an estimated 43.1 million Americans lived in poverty according to the official measure.

    “People come into the United States from all over the world to find freedom and to uncover enough wealth to raise their families. Many come from poor regions where they believe that the country doesn’t struggle with poverty. As one of the world’s wealthiest nations, this is simply a fallacy. And the numbers can attest to the fact that poverty is a pervasive problem America, but we don’t like to admit it. We would like to think that the poor only dwell in third-world countries, but there is no denying it, poverty is a pervasive quandary in America.”

Source: http://www.beliefnet.com/news/articles/7-facts-on-poverty-in-america.aspx#XeGtZ0e8CvWay7pd.99

But what does that mean? The official definition of poverty is “a condition where people’s basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter are not being met.” Poverty rates are highest for families headed by single women, particularly if they are black or Hispanic according to the National Poverty Center. Most of these women have children and without additional income from a spouse, are at a greater risk of poverty.

Now let’s think about what that means, feels like, and looks like through the eyes of a child. Not having enough to eat or seeing their parent(s) struggle to pay bills creates stress and trauma in a child that feels powerless to help.

How about children who don’t live in homes touched by poverty? What does poverty look like to them? How can educators, parents, and caregivers help the next generation of leaders understand and empathize with a growing issue that is likely affecting someone close to them?

This Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018 Poverty Classroom Kit is filled with books, activities, discussion questions, resources, and a free classroom poster to help students understand that Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate.

About The Poster Illustrator

Mehrdokht Amini is an Iranian-British children’s book illustrator living in England. She graduated with a degree in Graphic Design from Tehran University and has worked as an illustrator for both educational and mainstream publishers ever since.

She started her career in Iran while still studying at university, working on various projects for children’s magazines and books. After moving to England in 2004 she continued working with publishers all around the world.

Mehrdokht loves working with publishers who are interested in cultural diversity because it gives her an excellent opportunity to undertake a close study of different cultures and communities, gain a better understanding of those cultures and appreciate people of different backgrounds to her own.

A HUGE “Thank You!” to Mehrdokht Amini for creating the poster for this years’ kit.

Click HERE to download your

FREE Classroom Poverty Kit 2019: Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate | Understanding Poverty in America

Our FREE Classroom Poverty Kit contains:

~27 Classroom Books that will help Readers Understand Poverty in America for ages 4 -12

~ Two Classroom or home Activities

~ “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

     Thank you for cultivating understanding, kindness, inclusion, and exploration of this beautiful world in your classroom.

–
–
–

MCCBD Sponsor

Pass the Word! Sponsorships for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 are now OPEN!

Medallion and Author level Sponsorships for MCBD 2019 are OPEN!

Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature

The 6th annual Multicultural Children’s Book Day is  coming January 25, 2019

#READYOURWORLD

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

“I’m excited for this, last year I had great results with promotions after participating. It also made me feel much closer to the kidlit community and introduced me to great bloggers.

Thanks for opening up the event to all publishers.”~Author Elsa Takakoka

 

 

Click HERE

to download the 2019 MCBD Sponsorship Packet that outlines the benefits/perks of each level.

GO HERE to learn more about SPONSORSHIP LEVELS for MCBD 2019

Facebook for Business and Authors – Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

by

Guest blog post by Susan Mayfield of Reduce the Chaos

With the recent changes on Facebook and the decreased reach for business pages, a lot of business people and authors are re-evaluating keeping a business page on Facebook. Some have made the drastic decision to delete their Facebook business pages or abandon them.

Facebook for authors

Stop! Before you follow them and delete your business from Facebook, you might want some facts to help make a more informed decision. I understand the frustration of the reduced reach on Facebook unless you pay for ads. However, there are still some valid points to having a business page and a quality, active presence. There are also some things that are working for organic reach if you have an engaged community. Until there is a more viable alternative, Facebook is one of the main places where the action is going to be when it comes to prospecting for clients and customers.

We used to have the local “Yellow Pages” to look up a business and contact them by phone, or just drop by during business hours. Today, most people don’t look for businesses that way, they look for businesses online. Most of the time people look for a business from their phones.

Websites are good, however, many people also look up a business on the following social sites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Will people find your business on those sites? If they don’t find your business, it’ a given they will find others who offer similar services during their search.

The crucial thing to keep in mind is: What will potential clients and customers see when they go to those social sites? Clear contact information? Service and/or product information? Interesting images? Recent posts and activity from the business?

If you have ever gone to a Facebook page and nothing has been posted since 2013, I am sure you are left wondering if the business is still around. Don’t let your business page sit stagnant and unattended.

Facebook for Authors

Know the numbers to make an informed business decision!

Some stats*:

  • Facebook Has More Than 2 Billion Active Users on Facebook
  • Facebook has Over 1 billion daily active users
  • Demographics: 83% of Women & 75% of Men Use Facebook
  • People Access Facebook an Average 8 Times Per Day

Businesses:

  • 60 million businesses have a Facebook Page
  • 94% of businesses use Facebook
  • 64% of businesses use Instagram

Potential Customers and Clients:

  • 60% visit Facebook before going to your business
  • 80% more inclined to purchase after visiting your Facebook page
  • 62% use the information from your page to make a decision to use your services

“What happens if your business isn’t on Facebook, but other similar businesses are?”

What Facebook wants Business Pages to have:

#1 Meaningful Interaction

#2 Activity: Interaction and engagement on the page by followers and by the page.

Some things to keep in mind:

  • If no one is interacting, then the reach will decrease even more
  • Facebook gives more weight to shares and comments, then the reactions to the posts

How do you get more reach on Facebook?

Do the following:

  • Get people to react to the posts (great content)
  • Likes, comments are a good start
  • To ensure visibility get reactions (not just likes)
  • Super important: Always reply – response time and Replies to comments are tracked and rated by Facebook

When should you post content?

  1. When the majority of your followers are online
  2. If you post when your followers are online, then you will get more reward from Facebook by increased reach (Yes, Facebook is tracking the posts against when your people are online and this will affect your reach)
  3. Mix it up by sometimes posting at varying times to reach people who are online when most of your followers aren’t to be sure they are served too.

IMPORTANT DOES:

  • Fill out your business page profile completely, especially your contact info!
  • Sharing trending stories is a plus.
  • Use targeted audiences for shares
  • Schedule posts directly in Facebook**
  • Upload videos to Facebook, not from a Youtube link for better reach
  • Use posting to Nessenger to share content (if your followers are receptive to this)
  • Use sub titles ON THE VIDEO so the video can be viewed with sound off and it will usually get move viewers watching to the end. (Videos with higher completion rates get more reach)

**Note, Facebook is giving preference for authentic posts (not scheduled)

The stats from before the changes showed very little difference between the reach of scheduled posts using a third-party scheduler and using the scheduling option in Facebook. This may change. We encourage you to experiment using a scheduler mixed with authentic posts and posts scheduled in Facebook to see which is working best for your business.

Things to Avoid doing on Facebook:

  • Avoid sharing questionable stories (those that might be fake, but you aren’t sure)
  • Avoid frequent promotional posts
  • Avoid links outside of Facebook like your website. Facebook wants people to stay on Facebook and they don’t want OUTBOUND LINKS!!!
  • Posting things that cause people to hide your posts, marking posts as spam or as inappropriate, or “unliking” your page

What about advertising on Facebook?

Boosted posts are not recommended in general: this can be a waste of money, especially if you don’t have targeted audiences for the posts set up before boosting.

Use ads. Cost per click has dropped so they are more cost effective.

*************************************************

How TO USE FACEBOOK to GROW YOUR BUSINESS or Author Platform

First, you need to know who your customer IS – this helps you to find them in a variety of ways and to create a message that appeals to them (where are they hanging out? Then hang out there too)

Grab their Attention with these:

– How to Videos

– Offer something of value for free/Special Offers or Discounts

– PDF guides/cheat sheets (downloads from your website)

– Giveaways

IMAGES: use them to get attention by using images that draw attention with **Emotion/Motion/Color** on your images. This means eye catching and interesting images.

Build Relationships

– collect emails through your website

– use an ad linked to Messenger (don’t be spammy with messenger ads)

– nurture: give them more contact with your business to get sales

Followup – this leads to more sales, referrals

Customer Service – have great customer service so your clients/customers come back and refer others to you.

The best way to get people from being just “on your Facebook page” is to lead the contact off Facebook and onto your website then to sign up for your email list. Through your email list is where you can contact them on a regular basis, no matter what Facebook is doing with your page visibility.

If you want to know if Facebook is worth your efforts, look at the analytics for your website and where your leads are coming from.

Most important of all, if you have a page on Facebook, make the best possible use of it with consistent and engaging content.

The one thing you can be certain of, there will continue to be changed on social media. Those who adapt will continue to benefit from being on social media.

Still unsure how to get more out of your social media or make Facebook work for you? You can find more information at Reduce the Chaos Virtual Assisting and Social Media Management

*Stats were taken from a combination of sources:

Sprout Social 

Tech Crunch

Top Dog

About Susan Mayfield and Reduce the Chaos:

My goal is promoting growing Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Authors, and Organizations, to increase their visibility to their prospective clients and their current clients. The goal is for this increased visibility to result in more client satisfaction and increased revenue for you, the client.

Reduce the Chaos supports Businesses and Authors to reach more of their ideal clients and customers through Facebook/Social Media: creating business accounts; content creation and scheduling, managing multiple social accounts and monitoring. Email Marketing Services: Set up and use Mailchimp, Aweber, Get Response or other marketing email programs to send emails and email newsletters.

Find me on Facebook

 

 

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial
RSS
Facebook
Facebook
Twitter
PINTEREST
Instagram