Multicultural Children's Book Day

#ReadYourWorld

Helping Children and Strengthening Families by Equipping Dads

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San Bernardino Fatherhood mission is: “To eliminate fatherlessness in San Bernardino by promoting a culture of father inclusion and responsible fatherhood in our communities. This mission will be accomplished in collaboration with local schools, community partners, faith-based organizations and public and private agencies.”

San Bernardino Fatherhood vision is: “A society where children thrive, families are stronger, and communities are safer as a result of responsible fathering.”

About Real Dads Read

San Bernardino Fatherhood has worked in the field of responsible fatherhood for the past three (3) years, recognizing that fathers are more engaged today than ever.

Real Dads Read (RDR) is aimed at elementary and middle school-aged children (K-8) and their fathers/male caregivers with the goals of:

  1. Encouraging children to develop a love for reading.
  2. Improving children’s literacy skills and educational outcomes.
  3. Strengthening bonds between fathers/male caregivers and their children.

Real Dads Read is a two-generation approach to engaging and improving outcomes for both men and their children for which they are responsible.

NOTE: Kenneth Braswell and Read Dads Read is a returning Author Sponsor for MCBD2020. Get the scoop HERE.

Fathers Incorporated

Helping Children and Strengthening Families by Equipping Dads

Research shows that fathers are involved in the lives of their children, especially their education, children learn more, perform better in school, and exhibit healthier behaviors.  Even when fathers do not share a home with their children, their active involvement can have a lasting and positive impact.  The program has four engagement levels.

  1. Implementation of book drives in barbershops throughout the city of San Bernardino.
  2. Creating small children libraries in barbershops.
  3. Creating school-based community groups to meet once a month in reading activities.
  4. Creating a social media platform to impact the current narrative of “Black and Brown” men/fathers and their children.

“San Bernardino Fatherhood believes that Real Dads Read will be a great project to assist with the images of narrative change for ‘Black and Brown’ Men/Fathers, their children and families,” shared Ryan Berryman, MSW, the Executive Director of San Bernardino Fatherhood. “The project is a perfect opportunity to help elevate a counter-narrative by providing a great two-generational approach to services for parents and children.”

San Bernardino Fatherhood is seeking to establish at least fifty (50) “children reading centers” or children libraries in barbershops in the cities of San Bernardino and Highland.

How You Can Help

The objective of San Bernardino Father’s initiative is to partner with barbershops to encourage children to read and (most importantly) fathers/male caregivers to read to and with their children while waiting in barbershops.

San Bernardino Fatherhood will do the “work” in locating, promoting, educating, setting up and monitoring the children reading centers in barbershops for their success.  We are seeking a donation of books for each of our partnering barbershop locations.  Our goal is to have fifty (50) barbershops well established with a “Children’s Library” by June 2020.

Ways to help this timely and much-needed project is via donations of children books that are engaging, relevant and promotes positive images of “Black and Brown” children and families in our communities.  The children targeted should be from ages zero (0) to eleven (11) years.  Research evidence stresses the importance of early childhood literacy and children reading at “grade level” by the third grade to increase outcomes for future success.

Go here to learn how and where you can donate books.

It is suggested that the donated books depict positive role models and promote positive character-building traits (e.g., responsibility, honesty, respectful, safe, kind, courage, grit, social justice, discipline, etc.).  Again, it is suggested that the characters in the children’s books are reflective of the diversity of the “Black and Brown” members in our communities.

San Bernardino Fatherhood is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, charitable organization. Learn more about them via their website and Facebook.

 

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 Sponsorships are OPEN!

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It may be September, but planning for MCBD2020 is already in full swing!

There is a ton of new and exciting things to share and just as many exciting new things in the works for our SEVENTH global celebration of diversity in children’s literature.

New Victories at MCBD

We launched our newest FREE Physical and Developmental Challenges Classroom Kit. Get the scoop HERE.

During our July Flash Sale, we welcomed two very impressive MCBD2020 Platinum Sponsors (both are long-time supporters of MCBD): Language Lizard and Pack-n-Go-Girls!

Co-founder Mia Wenjen published not one but TWO new diverse books! (click the images to view details of each of these books)

Long-time MCBD Project Manager, Becky Flansburg, also co-authored and published a diverse picture book!

But the thing we are most excited about at this very moment is that Sponsorships (all levels) for MCBD2020 are officially OPEN!

**NOTE: Sponsorships are not a way to *pay* for reviews–it’s an opportunity to tap into a huge book community (made up of young readers, parents, teachers, and librarians), take advantage of our vibrant and efficient social media network, and gain visibility for your work.

All while supporting a passionate non-profit dedicated to getting diverse/multicultural books into the hands of young readers.

The Scoop on SPONSORSHIP LEVELS for MCBD2020:

To view MCBD2020 Sponsorship Levels and Rates, GO HERE.

*Sponsorships are only offered from September to January 1 of any given year and are a unique marketing tool to help authors, publishers, and organizations to tap into the HUGE momentum and buzz that surrounds our on and offline event. MCBD2020 is on 1/31/20, but things really start to get exciting and crazy around November 1.

*As part of your Sponsorship for MCBD2020, you will be matched with as many (or as few) reviewers as you would like. We have a huge pool of over 800 people who sign up to get a free diverse book (supplied by you) and they, in turn, share their review and thoughts of your book on their own social media channels during the month of January.

*The buzz during our holiday is enormous and our hashtag #ReadYourWorld has historically trended on Twitter during the celebration day.
*If you choose a Medallion level Sponsorship, your logo and 2-3 book cover images become part of our active Pinterest Pinning initiative (Pinterest is a huge traffic driver for us)

*You will have a listing and links on either our Medallion Level Sponsor Page or Author Level  (whichever level you choose) and that information will remain on our site for one year.

*If you choose a Medallion Level (Platinum through Bronze) your linked logo will appear on the sidebar of the MCBD site and stay there for one year.

*Your information is promoted and shared via social media from the moment you sign up and the promotion of your book or business will become heavier as the online celebration nears.

*GO HERE to download our Sponsorship Packet so you will have deeper details and rates.

To view MCBD2020 Sponsorship Levels and Rates, GO HERE.

As always, don’t hesitate to email me (Becky (at) MulticulturalChildrensBookDay (dot) com) if you have any questions. We are always available to help our participant SHINE and gain traction in the diverse children and YA book world.

Sponsorships for Multicultural Children’s Book Day is not only a great way to support this event; it is an excellent way to get your name (and your books) in front of thousands of readers. All of our Sponsors get a name mention within the hundreds of reviews that get posted from December to January 31st and also on the sites of our 24+ CoHosts sites. The deadline for ALL Sponsor sign-ups is 12/15/19.

We look forward to working with you!

To view MCBD2020 Sponsorship Levels and Rates, GO HERE.

P.S If you love books, and would like to be a book reviewer for MCBD 2020, sign up below!

When Life Comes Full Circle: How a Mobile Library Expanded My World

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Guest post from author Shereen Rahming

I was no more than seven or eight years old growing up in a tiny village in the relatively small country of Belize.  Almost everything I loved and knew existed in that single place.  The elementary school I attended was right next door in the community center grounds.  My classroom was in the main building which had mobile chalkboard walls that could be moved whenever we had our weekly Catholic Church services or any other community gathering.  Three different grades shared the modest open room.

Shereen Rahming

My favorite subjects quickly became any subject that taught and shared the stories of other people.  I wanted to hear, learn, and read more.  The only drawback was that the modesty of our resources meant that we lacked books to have a library.  Nowhere in the village or even neighboring town did a proper library exist.  My appetite for books that sparked my imagination and taught me about the world outside my little village was satisfied with the occasional delivery of books sent by my mother who was already living in the United States.  My whole young life revolved around life in the village, the school next door, and the few books and toys that my mother sent for me.

Then one day, news started circulating.  We heard that a mobile library would start coming to the village.  Now believe me when I tell you that this was somewhat of a big deal…at least to me, it was.  In a village where school resources were scarce, hearing that we would soon have a truck making a stop in the community center grounds once a month to offer books to the children was nothing short of receiving an early birthday or Christmas present, especially to one little girl.  Having never been to a library, I had no idea what to expect when my grandmother explained to me what a mobile library was.  It sounded great so I waited with anticipation.

The day came when the mobile library finally arrived.  I was so excited to get to the little truck that instead of running through the gates of our property, I crawled through an opening in the fence that separated our yard from the community center grounds.  I ran to get in line and waited patiently to get my very first library card.  When the nice lady handed it to me and I saw my name on it, I flashed a smile and ascended the steps of the truck. I stood there peering inside at all the books that filled the walls.  I walked in and perused the books on each shelf.  I ended up selecting a book about a bunny who had lots of adventures.  I took it home and read it right away.  Every book I ever borrowed was my new adventure, lesson, and doorway to a world far bigger than my own.

Fast forward more than thirty years later and that little girl’s love of books had only grown.  I am now a mom of two living in the United States and I have published my very own storybook.  As an author and publisher, I am blessed enough to encounter some truly amazing people who work in the world of literature.  One of those people is a man named, Stan Tucker, who has started his own mobile library in Georgia called the Leap for Literacy Bookmobile.

Stan Tucker and the Leap for Literacy Bookmobile

Photo credit

As I followed Stan’s story, I could not help but beam with delight.  How could I not when it evokes my precious childhood memories.  I smile every time I see the looks of joy and excitement on the little faces of the children who get to select a book from his library.

Stan Tucker

Photo credit

Eventually, I contacted Stan to tell him how wonderful I think his work is and to offer my book to him.  He accepted and now the little girl whose world opened up thanks to a mobile library, has her very own book in a mobile library where other children can hopefully be inspired in the same way.

I am in no way a great philosopher but I can’t help but look at the pictures that Stan posts including the one of a child holding my own book and I marvel at how life does indeed tend to come full circle.

I am reminded of a quote I once read that said, “Life is an echo.  What you send out, comes back.  What you sow, you reap.  What you give, you get.  What you see in others, exists in you.”

The little girl in that village over thirty years ago sent out love for stories, an imagination full of curiosity, and a wavering belief in herself.  And in the little faces of those children enjoying her story and other stories, she sees the same love, curiosity, and belief in all things possible.  Life has come full circle and it’s a beautiful view from where she now stands.

About Shereen

Author Shereen Rahming

 

Shereen Rahming is the author of Ahni & Her Dancing Secret, a graduate of UC Berkeley, a former teacher, and a current contributing writer for the Parent Voice Magazine. She was born in the small Central American country of Belize and immigrated to Los Angeles, California at the age of ten years old. Due to her Black and Latin heritage, she has a great appreciation for diversity and has become a passionate advocate for multicultural and diverse books.

Inspired by the lack of seeing book characters that looked like her as a child, she wrote Ahni & Her Dancing Secret for her daughter so that she would be able to see a character like herself in literature. She is currently working on a second book for her son. Her ultimate goal is to write and promote motivating stories that depict the true diversity of the world we live in and teach readers to appreciate and respect the beauty in themselves and others.

In Ahni & Her Dancing Secret, Ahni dreams of being a prima ballerina so she joins Madam Sabina’s dance school. But her spirit is soon broken when she discovers that the other students are far more advanced than she is and not as friendly as she expected. This charming story depicts the journey of little Ahni from an unsure hopeful to a confident dancer, by discovering the secret to success with the help of wise Madam Sabina. For ages 3-8.

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

 

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A Dual Language Picture Book about the Tibetan Culture

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Everyone loves a good story about perseverance, faith, and courage. This is especially true when the story comes with the opportunity to be exposed to a new language and culture.

Dorje the Yak by Caryn Hartman is a tale of triumph over adversity. It follows the struggle of Dorje, and the struggle of Tibet, to assert an identity in a changing world. Written in both English and Tibetan, this picture book is a powerful visual story of Tibet and its culture for children.

Published by Pema Publishing, Dorje the Yak (pronounced Dor-jay) is a beautiful book with a heart-warming story about a small yak in the large land of Tibet who has a deep determination to assert his identity in a changing world.

 

A Dual Language Picture Book about the Tibetan Culture

Dorje is smaller than all the other yaks…and he knows it. His diminutive stature makes it impossible for him to carry heavy loads so he is often left behind and filled with loneliness.

Even his owners have noticed his tiny size and nicknamed him, Mug Chung, which means “Little Brown” in Tibetan. Small, tiny, little…all words that Dorje is not fond of hearing when others talk about him.

One night, Dorje hears his human owners retelling the tale of the great Snow Lion; a mythical beast who is wise, powerful, and strong. As he listens, Dorje hatches a secret plan to find the Snow Lion in hopes that he can make him big and strong as well. In the morning, Dorje gives one last look at his tiny reflection in the blue waters of the lake and sets off on the difficult journey.

Dorje the Yak

His lengthy trek, one that is filled with unexpected twists and turns, ultimately leads to the discovery that reveals the real truth; that the size of our bodies is not what matters–it’s the size our hearts and the depth of our actions.

Dorje the Yak

Readers of all ages will be drawn in by the gorgeous illustrations and well-written text. Dorje is perfect for readers from 6-9, but older children and adults who are interested in the plight of Tibetans will love it too. The MCBD team is beyond thrilled to see a quality picture book that includes both the English and Tibetan languages within the story. Dorje the Yak is a true jewel in the world of children’s books.

“Compelling and informative, this book is a great addition to the library of any family interested in other cultures and ways of looking at the world.” ~Manuel Lopez

Purchase Dorje the Yak on the Pema Publishing website, on Amazon, or at Denver CO bookstores.

The Inspiration for Dorje

As a former ESL and Kindergarten teacher for Denver Public Schools, author Caryn Hartman is keenly aware of the importance of exposing young readers to new cultures and traditions at an early age. After a trip to Tibet inspired her to pursue a degree in Tibetan studies, she spent many years trying to find a way to marry these two passions.

“When I first went to Tibet in 1998 there was something about it that spoke so deeply to my soul. That soul-stirring stayed with me long after I returned to the U.S. and I went on to pursue a degree in that field,” Caryn recalled. “At the time, I couldn’t foresee myself going into academia solely based on that degree so my knowledge of Tibet went on the back burner while I pursued another passion. That passion was teaching young children. It was then that I realized how few books about Tibet are available for children. There are many books about Tibetan Buddhism, but what of the land and people themselves? So, fueled by my love of writing, I found a way to bridge the two passions that were a part of my life: Tibet and teaching.”

The story rolled around in her brain for months and when she connected with illustrator, Lexi Vay, and Tibetan translator, Gangkar Lhamo, the vibrant story and life lessons of Dorje the Yak came to life in a dual language picture book. From the very beginning, Caryn’s mission with her book was to not only share a story of triumph over adversity but also to create a colorful means to share a message of cultural preservation.

“I chose the main character to be a yak because they are such sacred animals in the Tibetan culture,” Caryn shared. “Tibetans refer to yaks as ‘norbu’ which translates to ‘jewel’ or ‘nornak’ which means ‘the black treasure.’ This fact is just one of the many that make these people their culture so special. The plight of the Tibetan culture is getting lost in the shuffle of mainstream media, but its story needs to be told. I hope that the story of Dorje the Yak speaks to people’s hearts. Because it is from my own heart that it was written.”

Purchase Dorje the Yak on the Pema Publishing website, on Amazon, or at Denver CO bookstores.

Dorje the Yak Resources for Teachers

Not only does Caryn provide wonderful resources on the Tibetan culture and language in the back pages of Dorje The Yak…

…Pema Publishing also offers a robust teacher resource section on their website here.

With a passion for Tibetans still firmly planted in her heart, Caryn and Pema Publishing have also created a way to give back to the refugee children of Tibet. Book lovers have the option of purchasing a copy of Dorje the Yak to donate to the Tibetan Children’s Village and Tibetan language schools throughout India & Nepal. To date, over 54 books have been donated so far!

“I really wanted Tibetan children to not only read a book in their language but I wanted to also offer a story that supports their English language learning as well,” Caryn noted.

Go HERE to see how you can donate a copy and bring joy to a Tibetan child.

donate a book to Tibetan children

The Creative Team Behind Dorje the Yak

Author, Caryn Hartman

About the author: Caryn Hartman got her BA in Anthropology and Religious Studies from the University of Colorado. After studying abroad in India, Nepal, and Tibet, she fell in love with Tibetan culture. She got her MA from the University of Virginia in History of Religion with a focus on Tibet. After graduate school, she taught in Denver Public Schools for nine years. She is excited to combine her passion for Tibetan culture with her love of children’s stories to create an awareness of Tibet’s plight.

Caryn lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two boys, and a snuggly cat. She loves to travel, go on long road trips, and will jump at any chance to be surrounded by mountains.

Connect with Caryn on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

About the illustrator: Lexi Vay is an artist living in Los Angeles with her husband and cat. She really loves storytelling through art and animation and enjoys working both traditionally and digitally.

She’s also an avid fountain pen enthusiast! In her off hours she’s probably sketching, practicing calligraphy, meditating, or watching cartoons, but usually not all at once!

 

 

About the translator: Gangkar Lhamo (pen name), a Tibetan woman from Kham in eastern Tibet, grew up with yaks and now studies at an American university. Tibetans and yaks have a symbiotic relationship; Tibetans call them “nornak,” the black treasure. Yaks are a treasure because they have provided Tibetans with so much: clothing, shelter (black tents), food, warmth, and companionship. Gangkar Lhamo believes that stories are rivers that sustain and nourish our existence; all children are made with stories. She hopes that Dorje the Yak waters the seeds of hope, curiosity, and imagination in the hearts of all readers, Tibetan and English.

Purchase Dorje the Yak on the Pema Publishing website, on Amazon, or at Denver CO bookstores.

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Writing Revelations | Guest Post from 22X Author, Tim J. Myers

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Guest Post by Author, Tim J. Myers

One of the greatest things about being a writer is discovering your own life in your work.

You can’t help writing about what’s important to you, and your experiences often show up in different forms, whether you intended that or not.  Art often is, among other things, a window into our deepest human selves.  I write for adults and young people, in multiple genres, and in my 22 published books and many individual pieces, I continually find glimpses of my life that worked their way in naturally.  I love how art is so inevitably self-revealing, and that’s one of the reasons I love writing.

Writing Revelations

Many of my books, for example, are multicultural in one form or another.  My family and I lived in Japan for three years, and, although I didn’t plan it, five of my children’s books are on Japanese themes.  One, I’m proud to say, was a New York Times bestseller for children’s books and was read aloud on NPR; Basho and the Fox are also about how important poetry is to me.

As it happens, I’ve recently been thinking about two childhood memories that, I realized, pushed themselves uninvited into my newest book, Yao Bai and the Egg Pirates—memories that reflect something basic about who I am.

I didn’t come from a reading family, and I was, at best, an indifferent student in elementary school.  But I can remember like it was yesterday the day the teacher passed out our first “reader”—it must have been in third or fourth grade.  For some reason, I went through the book on my own at home, and found in the back of it a palace of treasures.  Our teacher never had us read any of those stories, but I read every one more than once–which was not like me.  Why such uncharacteristic behavior?

They were fairy tales.

The second memory is of a longer period.  I grew up in Colorado Springs, “in the shadow of Pikes Peak” as the phrase goes.  I can hardly describe the natural beauty of the Pikes Peak Region.  The mountain looms over the entire city, and it was always there in my life, a manifestation of the physical grace and power of the natural world that I imbibed with mother’s milk.  The Utes call Pikes Peak “Sun Mountain,” and it’s sacred to them.  I think of it as a grandmother, and it’s sacred to me too.

Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak

So here were two towering impulses in my life:  the love of Story and an unwavering sense of wonder, which I first experienced through the wonder of the natural world and fairy tales.  I could give many other examples of how those impulses shaped my life and work.  Suffice it to say that my new children’s book includes both.

Yao Bai is historical fiction, the story of a Chinese boy during the California Gold Rush.  When I first visited China Camp here in the Bay Area, a state park that’s preserved a Chinese shrimp-fishing village from that time, I could almost see a boy running across that beach back in the 1850s.

China Camp

I recently saw a period photo including a Chinese boy in Monterey and thought, There he is!  I knew his life was important, both in itself and to America as a whole—so I knew I had to try to drag that forgotten story out into the light.  Chinese Americans have made incredible contributions to American life, and too often that’s forgotten or dismissed.

Chinese in Monterey

Chinese in Monterey

But I couldn’t write the story without some wonder in it too.  So I’ll leave it at that.  I love stories, after all; I’d never give away the ending!

So here’s to reading and writing—may we all keep on discovering ourselves in the magic of the printed word!

Tim Myers is a writer, songwriter, storyteller, and university senior lecturer in English. His Glad to Be Dad: A Call to Fatherhood (Familius) is in both e-book and print form; it was featured on Parents Magazine’s website, Disney’s BabyZone, and won the Ben Franklin Digital Award. His full-length Dear Beast Loveliness: Poems of the Body (BlazeVox) earned an excellent review from poet Grace Cavalieri, and Nectar of Story won praise from Cavalieri, Chase Twichell, Ron Hansen, and Joseph Bruchac.

Tim won the 2012 SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for Fiction and, as a fantasy/science fiction writer, he won a prize in the Writers of the Future Contest, and his work has appeared in Realms of Fantasy, Worlds of Fantasy and Horror, Space & Time, Weird Tales, Abyss & Apex, Futures Mysterious, on the Astropoetica website, and elsewhere.

Connect with Tim via his website, Amazon Author Page, and Facebook.

 

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