Multicultural Children's Book Day

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What Can Kids Learn from these Two Amazing Heroes of History?

February 11, 2021 by Valarie Budayr

{Guest Post By Jodi Murphy}

Black History Month begins and it’s just one of the many opportunities we can take to talk to kids about the many contributions and achievements of African Americans.

Dorktales Storytime Podcast would like to bring the stories of two trailblazers from two different time periods in American history to your children. These are two men who faced racial injustice—one who was enslaved then freed and one who lived during Jim Crow laws. Through their own talents, hard work, and determination, they had extraordinary accomplishments that changed our world for the better. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Diverse Book Review, diversity in children’s books, Featured, Guest Posts, Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: culturally diverse books, Dorktales Storytime Podcast

Music Carries Language and Culture for Kids

February 4, 2021 by Valarie Budayr

{Guest Post by Jesse Lewis, Music Producer, and Sound Director, at TA-DA! Language Productions}

Sound and music is a point of entry for the next generation. Just like food and diverse books, music carries language and culture for kids.

So, I noticed that when music comes on, she stops everything and stares far away.

That thousand-yard stare is usually one I see in our 4-month-old right before the diaper… uh, right before he looks at me and grins… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Diverse Book Review, Guest Posts, Teacher Tools Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, diverse books, diverse picture books, foreign language for kids, language and culture, language and culture for kids, Multicultural Author, Multicultural Books for kids

When a Literature Assignment Becomes A Children’s Picture Book

January 23, 2021 by Valarie Budayr

Guest Post by Tacardra B. Rountree 

It was my Junior year of high school and I was given an assignment in my Literature Class to write a poem about myself starting with the words, I Am. During that time, I had fallen in love with the poetry of Maya Angelou, especially the poem, “Phenomenal Woman.”I probably thought to myself, if I can be phenomenal, I can also be a Queen. My assignment started with the words, I Am An African Queen. It continued as a poetic affirmation. I published the poem in my first book, Writings From Down Through the Years. 

In graduate school, I came across the book, Honey I Love and Other Love Poems by Eloise Greenfield. When I read the poem,” Honey, I Love,” I was quickly reminded of my childhood. This poem became one of my favorites. It was several years later during my teaching career that I found the picture book Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield. It was at that moment, I decided to turn my poem, “I Am An African Queen,” into a children’s picture book. 

I knew I needed to find an illustrator who could make my words come to life. Little did I know that my illustrator would be someone that I already knew. Audrey “Sala Adenike” Jeter-Allen is known in my hometown for teaching and sharing African dance and culture. One year, we were both vendors at the same event. I was selling my first book and she was selling her artwork. I did not realize she was a visual artist. When I saw her artwork, I knew she would be the perfect illustrator for my book. I shared my ideas with Jeter-Allen and we exchanged contact information. She decided to illustrate my book and capture my vision with beautiful paintings and graphic illustrations. I wanted girls and women to find themselves on the cover and pages of the book. 

When it came to the title, I wanted something short and catchy. In February of 2018, I visited the Mann-Simons Site, one of the historical houses in Columbia, South Carolina. While I was reading one of the informational markers, a gentleman walked by and said, “Hello Queen.” I said, “Hello.”A few days later I said, “That is the title of my book, Hello Queen.” 

Remember, you should always answer to what you want to be called. The gentleman called me a Queen and I answered. He also confirmed what I already knew about myself. Yes, I am a Queen. I represent beauty, intelligence, determination, and more. After reading my book, I want young girls and women to boldly say, “I am a Queen” and realize that Queens are all around them. 

I did not realize the type of impact my 11th-grade assignment would have on my life. Save your writings and even your homework assignments. You may have the next best selling children’s book!

Tacardra B. RountreeTacardra B. Rountree is an author, inspirational speaker, and educator. Rountree has her Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Fort Valley State University and her Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota.. 

She is the author of Writings From Down Through the Years and Hello Queen. Writings From Down Through the Years is a compilation of inspirational poetry and readings. Hello Queen is her second book and first children’s picture book. Rountree seeks to encourage and inspire others with her words. She enjoys sharing her books with schools and libraries. 

Website: https://www.authortrountree.com/

Filed Under: Author Visits, Book review, Diverse Book Review, diversity in children’s books, Guest Posts Tagged With: #OwnVoices, Tacardra B. Rountree

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

December 22, 2020 by Valarie Budayr

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

A Bilingual Story About Conservation & Cooperation

October 29, 2020 by Valarie Budayr

“The sun beats down relentlessly on a scorched landscape where nothing is growing. Buffalo is listless and desperately looking around for something to eat. Then, one evening he finds a white biscuit in a small pool of water. But, he is not the only animal to see it and a great fight begins… But all is not what it seems.”

Language Lizard’s newest bilingual storybook offering, The Biscuit Moon, is an engaging bilingual story about a distressed traveler.

THE BISCUIT MOON (BILINGUAL CHILDREN'S BOOK)

THE BISCUIT MOON (BILINGUAL CHILDREN’S BOOK)

 

As we follow Buffalo’s journey, we explore the concepts of climate change, scarcity, and the need to share precious resources.


bilingual book for kids

Powerful Tale About the Need for Cooperation

 

In The Biscuit Moon readers meet Buffalo and Lion, and the delicious biscuit that never was. This is a discussion-provoking story about scarcity and greed, and ultimately the wisdom of cooperation.

The Biscuit Moon is available in English with Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Chinese-Simplified, Chinese-Traditional, Farsi, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Karen (Sgaw), Korean, Kurmanji Kurdish, Sorani Kurdish, Lithuanian, Oromo (their newest language offering), Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Yoruba. 

Teacher’s Notes and Classroom Resources Available

Teachers can use this engaging story to spark discussions about climate change, its effects on wildlife, and why it’s important to conserve and share precious resources. The story can also be read as a metaphor for communities making a new life far away from home. 

Teachers and homeschooling families can access extensive teacher’s notes and activities that use The Biscuit Moon, along with links to child-friendly resources about climate change, on Language Lizard’s Free Multicultural Lesson Plans page.

Fun Facts about Language Lizard

Language Lizard is a longtime sponsor of Multicultural Children’s Book Day and a current 2021 Platinum Sponsor.

The Company is located in Basking Ridge, NJ, and can be reached at 1-888-LLIZARD (888-554-9273) or info@LanguageLizard.com . For address information and to contact Language Lizard using their online form, click here.

Their products have been well-reviewed by critics, families, and teachers. Click here to read reviews and awards on specific products. Click here to read Testimonials by Language Lizard’s customers.


***Support the diverse children’s literacy initiative Multicultural Children’s Book Day! Our 8th celebration will take place on January 29, 2021. Creators can donate books that will be reviewed and shared on social media. We also have sponsorships at a variety of price points.***

**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 Kristi at Admin (at) MulticulturalChildrensBookDay (dot) com **

Filed Under: 2021 Sponsorships, Author Visits, Book review, Diverse Book Review, Guest Posts, Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, bilingual book, bilingual children's book, diverse books, Language Lizard, Native American Story

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