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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 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

Celebrate Books by African Writers During #ReadingAfrica Week

December 3, 2020 by Kristi Bernard

{Guest Post by Jessica Powers}

 

One of the best parts of my job as a publisher of African writers is being able to encourage people to check out the diverse writing for children by African writers or those who are part of the African diaspora.

This has been a sorely neglected region in American publishing but with recent surges of interest in sci-fi or fantasy with a basis in African culture and/or mythology (such as Nnedi Okorafor’s books and/or Tomi Adeyemi’s series), we hope to see a surge of interest in all genres of children’s and young adult books that celebrate the continent that is the birthplace of humans.

If you’ve never read a children’s or young adult book by an African writer or about Africa and you don’t know where to start, we have just the event for you!

During the first full week of December (this year December 6-12), the fourth annual #ReadingAfrica week, we encourage readers to participate fully: you can mention books you’d like to read or books you’ve read and would like to celebrate, and/or keep track of the hashtag on your favorite social media site to find new books. Follow along with the hashtag to celebrate favorites and explore new writers.

 

Some places to get started #ReadingAfrica:

 

  • Africa Access publishes regular reviews of children’s and young adult books by African writers and/or about Africa. They act as a fairly comprehensive base for books published in North America.
  • The Children’s Africana Book Award offers an award for the best books about Africa published in the United States on an annual basis.
  • The Global Literature in Library Initiative (https://glli-us.org) posts reviews of global literature in their blog and offers awards for global literature for children, including African-authored books.
  • My own Catalyst Press, though small, is proud to publish several award-winning children’s authors from South Africa
  • Cassava Republic regularly publishes both young adult and children’s books with a strong emphasis on Nigerian writers (https://cassavarepublic.biz)

 

 

Jessica Powers, publisher of Catalyst Press (www.catalystpress.org), writes for children and young adults under the name JL Powers. She is the author of five novels for young adults, a picture book, and editor of two collections of essays. Catalyst Press was launched in 2017 to publish African writers and African-based books.

 

Filed Under: Author Visits, Guest Posts Tagged With: #ReadingAfrica week, books by African writers

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