Multicultural Children's Book Day

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When the Majority Remains the Minority in Children’s Books

December 13, 2018 by Valarie Budayr

{Guest Post by Author Sonia Panigrahy}

On a Saturday afternoon, I found myself rushing through Manhattan in preparation for a trip to Chicago to visit my best friend. I was searching for a gift for her five-year-old daughter. I opened the doors to a lovely two-storied children’s bookstore. I skimmed the shelves and struggled to find a book with a main female character that was not a princess. Seeking the help of an employee, I request a girl’s adventure book. She pulled out a book and described the plot, prompting me to purchase the book without having the time to read it. I figured the little girl and I would read it for the first time together in Chicago.

We were in our pajamas in Chicago on the sofa as I cracked open this new adventure story. The main character has a dream where an adventure awaits her. I turn the pages to find that the adventure involves the main female character cleaning and cooking. What struck me in a very painful way was that no adventure book for boys would include cleaning and cooking. Why is it that children’s books are delineated into boys’ vs. girls’ stories that restrict what they can and cannot become? Why don’t books have storylines where pronouns can be interchangeable so that kids can just be kids? [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2019 MCBD, Author Visits, Book review, Diverse Book Review Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, Author Sponsors, diverse picture books, diverserkidlit, Multicultural Books for kids, Sonia Panigrahy

MCBD2019 Sponsors and Book Reviewers: Deadlines Looming!

November 28, 2018 by Valarie Budayr

It’s hard to believe our 6th Multicultural Children’s Book Day online and offline celebration is less than two months away.

Things are going at full speed here at MCBD headquarters and we want to make sure two critical deadlines don’t sneak up on our supporters, reviewers, and potential sponsors.

MCBD Sponsorship Deadline is 12/15/18

Sponsorship 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 25th and also on the sites of our 24+ CoHosts sites. The deadline for ALL Sponsor sign-ups is 12/15/18. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2019 MCBD, Guest Posts, Marketing for Authors, MCBD2019 Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, Author Sponsors, Children's Book Author, MCCBD Sponsor, Multicultural Children's Book Authors, multicultural children's book day sponsors

A new Added bonus for Platinum and Super Platinum Sponsorship levels!

November 10, 2018 by Valarie Budayr

Great things are happening at Multicultural Children’s Book Day headquarters and our Sponsor lineup is growing by the DAY. You can view current Medallion Level Sponsors and Author Sponsors on the website here and here.

THEN…we are excited to announce a new Added bonus for Platinum and Super Platinum Sponsorship levels!

Along with all the other perks that go along with our two highest levels of Sponsorship, the MCBD Team has “sweetened the deal” with this impressive bonus.

Those who sign up for Platinum or Super Platinum level for MCBD2019 will be enjoying the opportunity of providing up to 12 guest posts (written by the sponsor) that can be used on the MCBD blog over the course of 12 months!

This is a big deal! On any given day the MCBD blog gets around 600-800 hits and during the month before and after our online holiday that number triples. Guest posts are also “evergreen” which means they live on the MCBD blog forever. This benefit is perfect for book launches, company news, special sales or announcements of new books!

P.S. The deadline for ALL Sponsor sign-ups for is 12/15/18 [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2019 MCBD, MCBD2019, Special Events Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, Author Sponsors, book review bloggers, MCCBD Sponsor, multicultural children's book day sponsor

Jamie is Jamie- A picture book about being yourself and playing your way

June 30, 2018 by Valarie Budayr

Through color-coding in stores, kids “learn” which toys are “supposed” to be for girls or boy. Pink and yellow toys are considered “girly” and anything blue or dark green is obviously for boys, right? What about the toys themselves? Can boys play with dolls and girls play with trucks?

Of course, they can. And that’s the open-minded thinking that is captured in the new kids’ book, Jamie is Jamie.

Author Afsaneh Moradian wrote Jamie is Jamie for her daughter who’d been told that only boys can play a superhero. “My daughter and every other child deserve a book that gives them permission to be free to play and explore their own way-not the way everyone, ‘thinks they should,'” Afsaneh shared. “I created my book to challenge gender stereotypes and encourages children to make play choices based on their interests. And because playing is fundamental to learning, I’ve created a special section in Jamie is Jamie for teachers, parents, and caregivers where they can find tips on how to make kids’ playtime learning time.”

About Jamie is Jamie

When free-spirited Jamie arrives at a new preschool, all the kids learn that it’s okay to play whatever you want. The other children love how Jamie plays, but is Jamie a boy? Or a girl? Within these pages, readers see Jamie’s willingness to rock a baby, fix a toy car, dance ballet and even fight off villains has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with the joy of PLAY.

An Author and Mom with a Vision of Equality

Afsaneh Moradian has loved writing stories, poetry, and plays since childhood. After receiving her master’s in education, she took her love of writing into the classroom where she began teaching children how to channel their creativity. Her passion for teaching has lasted for over fifteen years. Afsaneh now guides students and teachers (and her young daughter) in the art of writing.

Author Afsaneh Moradian

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and one unique quality you think you have.

Afsaneh: I grew up in a multicultural family and at school, I was made to feel that I was an “other”. I think this made me aware of how important it is for kids to feel loved and supported both in and out of the home. I definitely carried this belief into my career as an English teacher.

Q: I see that you are a creative writing instructor. If you could give advice to anyone (especially youngsters) who dream of writing a book, what advice would you give?

Afsaneh: You are the only one who has your life and your ideas, and you are the only one who can tell your story. Your story is worth telling and worthy of being read. You don’t have to have an original idea or a brilliant idea, you just have to have something to say and the confidence to put your ideas into words.

Q: Who is your mentor or biggest influencer when it comes to your writing?

Afsaneh: I learned how to write poetry from reading Margaret Atwood and Nikki Giovanni poems as a freshman in high school. I had some amazing creative writing teachers in high school and college, but I have to give my mother a lot of credit for reading EVERYTHING I have ever written, and for always cheering me on even when the poem or story needs a lot of work.

Q: If you were to let parents, teachers and librarians know ONE THING about Jamie is Jamie?..what would that one thing be?

Afsaneh: This book is a wonderful way to teach children to be inclusive of those who are different from them and to show children who may stand out from others that they deserve to be respected and accepted for who they are.

Q: We love that Jamie is Jamie is about creating a conversation on gender stereotypes. Was there a specific reason you chose this topic? :

Afsaneh: My young daughter wasn’t able to see herself in any of the picture books we were reading to her. It became clear to me that there needed to be a book where kids could be free to be themselves and be appreciated for it, without the limitations of gender stereotypes. I’m also concerned about the push towards making early childhood more academic and wanted to provide adults with a reminder of how important free play is for young children to develop their imagination, cognition, and social skills.

Q: What are you most grateful for?

Afsaneh: I am grateful for my loving, supportive husband and for all of the amazing people in my life who are doing so much to make this world a better place to live in.

Q: Are you planning on creating more children’s books?

Afsaneh: Absolutely! There are still many stories left to tell and a long way to go until we have enough picture books that represent all children.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

Afsaneh: We are living in a moment where there are a lot of divisive and hateful ideas floating around, and I greatly appreciate being part of a community of diverse authors who are doing what we can to create safe spaces for all kids through our books, recognizing different races, ethnicities, genders (including trans and gender neutral), abilities, and religions.

Connect with Afsaneh on YouTube and Twitter.

About The Publisher

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Free Spirit (www.freespirit.com) is the leading publisher of learning tools that support young people’s social-emotional health and their educational needs. Free Spirit’s mission is to help children and teens think for themselves, overcome challenges, and make a difference in the world.

Product details

  • Age Range: 4 – 8 years
  • Grade Level: Preschool – 3
  • Hardcover: 32 pages
  • Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (May 1, 2018)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1631981390
  • ISBN-13: 978-1631981395
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.3 x 8 inches (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars   7 customer reviews

Available at Amazon or FreeSpiritPress.com

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Filed Under: Author Visits, Diverse Book Review, Guest Posts Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, Author Sponsors, book review, Children's Book Author, diverse picture books, picture book that challenges gender stereotypes

MCBD2018 Poster Reveal! | Author/illustrator, Aram Kim

September 14, 2017 by Valarie Budayr

Guest post from author/illustrator, Aram Kim

I sometimes sit on the park bench in the big playground in my neighborhood. In the afternoon, the playground is dynamic with children playing, running, screaming, laughing and talking. Though it is a natural scene for me by now, I am still amazed by the wonderful diversity of the children who play there. They all have different skin colors, languages and outfits, but none of that seems to be a problem for them. I live in Queens, where it is reportedly said hundreds of languages are spoken. Even in the same neighborhood, the entire ethnic scene changes when you just cross the road. I am so in love with it. I also like to visit libraries and bookstores.  I spend most of my time in the children’s book section. Sadly, what I love about my neighborhood is not always reflected in children’s books.

We need so much more diversity in children’s books so that any child can see themselves and see others in the books they read. They should be able to naturally learn that everyone’s voice matters. There have been wonderful campaigns and movements to bring more diversity into these books and increase the diversity of creators and publishing industry employees. I admire the passion, perseverance, resilience and effort of the people who organize these campaigns.

I’ve always thought I could contribute to increasing diversity in children’s books, even a tiny bit, by telling the stories I know and creating stories only I could tell. However, I was very eager to be more actively involved in the effort to increase diversity in children’s literature.  That explains why I was dancing around at 3 o’clock in the morning in my mom’s kitchen in South Korea. In March of this year, after submitting all the revisions for my new book No Kimchi for Me!, I went back to South Korea for a month to visit my family.

One day during this trip while I was still jet-lagged and working at 3 a.m with a client in New York, I got an email from Multi-cultural Children’s Book Day committee. They asked if I would be interested in creating next year’s poster. Everyone in my family was sleeping at that time, so I pantomimed a scream, popped out of the dining room chair I was sitting at, and spent the next few minutes jumping and dancing around. The only time I could remember doing this before was when I got the contract for my debut picture book Cat on the Bus in 2015.

Aram Kim

So that’s how I got to spend part of my summer creating the Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018 poster with much support from wonderful people at MCBD committee. I thank them so dearly to have given me the chance to be a part of this amazing campaign. As a children’s book author/illustrator, the most gratifying part of the job is when I meet kids at school who are delighted to see me, excited to listen to my story, and eager to tell their stories to me. Their vibrant energy motivates me.

MCBD2018 Read Your World Poster

Creating this poster gave me a little more assurance that I am getting one step closer to serving these readers right. They all deserve to see more diversity in the books they read and they love.

**Click the above poster image to download your copy

Aram Kim was born in Cincinnati, raised in South Korea, and currently lives in New York City. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, Aram is the author and illustrator of Cat on the Bus, called a “beautifully designed visual work” by School Library Journal and included in the ILA Children’s Choices 2017. Aram Kim’s new picture book, No Kimchi For Me!, about family, food, and a six-year-old “coming of age” has universal themes, and at the same time celebrates Korean culture. A Junior Library Guild selection.

Filed Under: 2018 MCBD, Author Visits, diversity in children’s books, Guest Posts, MCCBD News, MCCBD Updates Tagged With: Author Sponsors, MCBD2018, multicultural children's book author, Multicultural Children's Book Illustrator

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