Multicultural Children's Book Day

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Women in STEM: One Step Further by Katherine Johnson {Giveaway!}

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Welcome to the One Step Further Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of One Step Further by Katherine Johnson and her daughters Joylette Hylick and Katherine Moore, and illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow on January 5th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive photos and stories from the life of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, plus 5 chances to win a hardcover copy!

With ONE STEP FURTHER, author Katherine Johnson shares what it was like for her daughters to be a part of her history-making path. Filled with personal reflections, exclusive family archival photos, and striking illustrations, readers will be immersed in this deeply personal portrayal of female empowerment, women in STEM, and the breaking down of race barriers across generations. Historical notes, photo/illustration notes, and a timeline put the story into a historical and modern-day context.

Picturing the Past

by Lori Epstein, Photo Director, National Geographic Kids Books

Katherine Johnson’s West Virginia State College Diploma
In the summer of 2019, I had the honor of being welcomed into the private home of Katherine Johnson. She was a celebrity, but she was a stranger to me, known only from a distance through books and the now famous movie Hidden Figures.
Katherine’s college transcripts. Check out those grades! And do the math to see that she graduated Summa Cum Laude at age 19. Wow.
As I sat on the floor of the spare bedroom of her home, sifting through shoeboxes, file folders, and thick family albums, it struck me that there’s a reason why we call them personal items. These church programs, newspaper clippings, and photos have the ability to help bring a story to life, to make emotional connections. As I pored over school papers, sheet music, awards, and stacks of photos, Joylette and Kathy told me stories about each item; who that person was, and where that event took place, and what that award was for. They were generous with their time and opened up to me about what it was like growing up during the civil rights movement. With each item I photographed, I was getting closer and closer to all of the women in this book. I held in my hand Katherine’s report card (so many A’s!), her college diploma, her string of pearls, her Presidential Medal of Freedom. These are items only someone very close would ever have the privilege of touching. By the time I left, I felt like I was leaving the home of a neighbor and friend.
By including some of these incredibly personal photos and artifacts in our book, I hope that readers have the same experience and walk away caring more about these women and their mission to take one step further.
Presidential Medal of Freedom Pin

*****

credit Mark Thiessen/NGP

 

Lori Epstein, Photo Director, National Geographic Kids Books

Blog Tour Schedule:

February 22nd – Multicultural Children’s Book Day Blog

February 23rd – Here Wee Read

February 24th – Make a Way Blog

February 25th – BookHounds

February 26th – Frantic Mommy

 

Buy: Amazon | Indiebound | Bookshop

Follow National Geographic Kids: Website | Twitter | Books Twitter | Facebook | Youtube
This inspirational picture book reveals what is was like for a young black mother of three to navigate the difficult world of the 1950s and 60s and to succeed in an unwelcoming industry to become one of the now legendary “hidden figures” of NASA computing and space research.
Johnson’s own empowering narrative is complemented by the recollections of her two daughters about their mother’s work and insights about how she illuminated their paths, including one daughter’s fight for civil rights and another’s journey to become a NASA mathematician herself. The narrative gracefully weaves together Johnson’s personal story, her influence on her daughters’ formative years, her and her daughters’ fight for civil rights, and her lasting impact on NASA and space exploration. Filled with personal reflections, exclusive family archival photos, and striking illustrations, readers will be immersed in this deeply personal portrayal of female empowerment, women in STEM, and the breaking down of race barriers across generations. Historical notes, photo/illustration notes, and a timeline put the story into a historical and modern-day context.
The inspirational tale of Johnson’s perseverance is both intimate and global, showcasing the drive of each generation to push one step further than the last. With its evocative family album-style format and novel approach to storytelling, One Step Further is sure to inspire the next generation of rising stars.
“Engaging, collage-style art augments the text, with speech bubbles, archival family photographs, and Barlow’s child-friendly illustrations. Concurrently accessible and intimate, this book will both inform readers and inspire them to reach for the stars.” 
―Publishers Weekly
 
“A concise, engaging story of a Black family in the South during the Civil Rights era.” 
―Booklist
 
“The blend of Johnson’s and her daughters’ voices is intimate and inspiring.” 
―Horn Book 

 

Joylette (L), Kathy (R), Katherine (F) 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations of
orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. She calculated and analyzed the flight paths of many spacecraft during her more than three decades with the U.S. space program, and her work helped send astronauts to the moon. She died on February 24, 2020.

ABOUT THE CO-AUTHORS: Joylette Goble Hylick and Katherine “Kathy” Goble Moore grew up during the space race of the 1960s but never fully grasped their mother’s role in it until years later. Hylick graduated from Hampton University and received a Master’s at Drexel University. She followed in her mother’s footsteps, working at NASA as a mathematician before taking a job with Lockheed Martin as a Senior Requirements Engineer. She lives today in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. After attending Bennett College and Hampton University, and receiving a Masters of Science in Information Systems from Montclair State University (formerly Montclair State College), Moore spent 33 years working in public education as an educator and guidance counselor in New Jersey. She currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina.

 

 

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR: Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, the granddaughter of Caldecott-winning illustrator Jerry Pinkney, was surrounded by art as a child. Her passion for illustration grew after being introduced to the world of watercolors. She received her BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and her MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
 
Follow Charnelle: Facebook | Instagram
GIVEAWAY: Win a SIGNED Copy!
  • One (1) winner will receive a hardcover copy of One Step Further signed by Katherine Johnson’s daughters and co-authors Joylette Hylick and Katherine Moore!
  • Check out the other tour stops for more chances to win
  • US/Can only
  • Ends 3/7 at 11:59 pm ET

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Music Carries Language and Culture for Kids

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{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…

But for my daughter, almost four years old, this beam tells me she’s experiencing something I can’t see, a complete and vivid scene in her imagination. She is hearing, learning, and internalizing as she listens in delight to EVERYTHING she hears.

So, I had to know – What makes music and stories so mesmerizing and memorable to our littlest learners?

What if music could be used to show our kids sounds of language and music from other places? Could just listening to music plant seeds of awareness and empathy, and give them comfort with people from other cultures and places they haven’t even met? Is there a way to activate a mind’s eye in young kids for a better future, while they listen in delight?

Whoa, I thought… this… could CHANGE the world.

Music gets Kids Going

Music gets kids going, truly, at the core. Much of your child’s biology is rhythmic for instance – the heart, the lungs, their stride, their speech all have a rhythm; so, rhythm is satisfying. When they hear a beat, their bodies can’t help but fall into sync. Take a look at this incredible video by Dr. Laurel Trainor if you need help being convinced:

 

Music Carries Language and Culture for Kids

All music comes from someplace and brings with it the vibe, the culture, and the language. Every culture has a sound; each place its own music, soundscapes, and (needless to say!) language. And the earlier kids hear something, the deeper that memory sets in, and the more readily they’ll recall that information or perspective in the future.

Sound and music is a point of entry for kids – Just like food, a new place, a new language, a person who looks a little different. When young children build familiarity with our diversity, they’ll be more open when they’re older.

From the Grammys to the Kids

I’ve been in music all my life, and never have I found so much purpose as I have in bringing music to kids. We can give the gift of music—and all of the learning benefits, cultural context, language, empathy, math, and science—from the moment they emerge from the womb! I have 4 Grammy Awards and produce commercial albums for some of the most wonderful artists in the world, but now, for me, I cannot think of a more potent use of energy and passion than to turn my focus to kids.

About TA-DA! Language Productions

TA-DA! makes language and culture fun for kids, by weaving it into stories, music, and games.

Our first sound books come out in April (Language Adventures Series) and August (Children’s Talking Dictionary). Kids will learn and grow while they have oodles of fun. My co-founder, Michelle Glorieux, is a quick, smart, fun mom of a trilingual kid, and a globetrotting language teacher currently living in Europe. I’m a cellist and music producer; my wife, Megumi, is an inspiring professional violinist; and we are raising two little bilingual kids in Boston, Massachusetts.

Our whole team is driven by the dream that an entire generation of kids can grow up entirely more nourished, more empathetic, more playful, and better equipped to tackle their futures. Everything we do, we do for our kids, and that’s what TA-DA! is built on.

Visit TA-DA! via our website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.

 

4 Ways to Create Unique Diverse Book Review

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{Special Message from Project Manager, Becky Flansburg}

We are so excited that things are rolling along beautifully for our Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 event! Currently, we are working on wrapping up book matching for the year and are busy planning to make our annual Twitter Party even more epic than it has been in the past.

So today, I want to talk a little bit about the process of book reviewing for this event. Basically, when we asked our reviewers to review a book for our online (and offline) celebration, we would like them to do a handful of things.

The Basic Book Review for MCBD2021

The main thing is to share the title of the book the authors name the illustrator if possible and also who gave them the book whether it’s the publisher’s name like capstone or hoopoe etc. then include a brief summary of the book itself with the book is about, your thoughts on the book what you liked or didn’t like about the book and then the mandatory information that MCBD will be supplying you around the 14th of this month. AND DON’T FORGET–#ReadYourWorld

We also encourage (in the vein of disclosure) that reviewers mention that they were gifted the book they are reviewing.

The Basic Element for a Book Review is:

  • Share the title of the book, the author, and the illustrator. Phrase it like “I was gifted a copy of_____”
  • If applicable, mention the publisher (Capstone, Candlewick, Star Bright, Pack-N-Go Girls, etc)
  • It’s important that you mention the word gifted.
  • Then, share a brief summary of the book, your thoughts/likes about the book, and then (whenever possible) as much of the mandatory info we will send around the 14th as possible.
  • And don’t forget the #ReadYourWorld Hashtag!

On the flipside, if you are leaving a review on Amazon, just leave a review as you normally would. You don’t need to mention you were gifted the book and you don’t need to include any of the mandatory MCBD information. Just leave a review like any normal person would do if they bought a book and wanted to review leave a review for the author.

Here’s an example of reviews from 2020.

BooksMyKidsRead.com

MKB.com

RebekahGienapp.com

NOTE: We are a little behind on getting this mandatory information out because we still have sponsors trickling in which is unusual but   2020 was just an unusual year so we’re not surprised. So bear with us a little longer on that! We’d like our reviewers to begin posting their reviews as close to the celebration date (1/29/21) as possible because it’s great for building buzz.

Next Leveling Your Book Reviews

Now let’s talk about how to make your book review unique. We have many reviewers, almost 700 from all over the globe, reviewing books. And many will be reviewing more than one book! We roughly figure that during this event there will be 1200 to 1400+ books being reviewed on social media. Impressive, right?

That being said, the question has come up about the uniqueness of reviews during this online celebration.

The question was posed that if five people are reviewing the same book, wouldn’t the reviews (plus the mandatory copy-n-paste info) make them all look the same? Actually NO, and that is why we want to encourage our reviewers to think outside the box a little when writing their review for MCBD.

And It’s actually easier than You think.

Now we completely understand that if you are writing a review on a blog you obviously have more space and word count when sharing reviews and it’s a little harder on social media especially Twitter.

If you are reviewing on Twitter, I would definitely stick just to the formula of the title of the book the author in the illustrator –tag them when you can and don’t forget to include #ReadYourWorld

If you are sharing your review on a blog, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube, you have more wiggle room on how wordy you can be.

You will also have more word count to be able to include as much of our mandatory information as possible.  The most important piece of the Mandatory Book Review info we will send to you all around the 14th is the list of our Medallion Sponsors and our Author Sponsor because they appreciate the name mention on social media.

In that case, here are a few ideas on how to make your review unique.

Ways to Next Level Your Reviews

  1. Ways to make your review different from anyone else is to just be YOU. You are uniquely YOU so your thoughts and feedback are already going to be different.
  2. You can share discussion questions activity ideas, links to downloads from the publisher that are related to the book, or things about the book that resonated with your life story.
  3. Many of the authors and publishers will have ready to go activities downloadable coloring pages and discussion questions on their websites. Use those activities, downloads, or discussion questions to engage with your own family and share the results as part of your review.
  4. TALK TO YOUR AUTHOR: Learn more about the author and the illustrator because we promise they are interesting people! Ask them questions about their author/illustrator journey or ask the Author what inspired them to write the book.

I have a lot of experience in interviewing people for national magazines so I have created templated questions that seem to be good conversation starters and a great way to get to know someone better.

These questions are great to ask just to find out a little more about the person behind the book.

You don’t have to ask all five questions, and you don’t have to call them on the phone (unless you want to). You can choose one question email them and share their answer and then bingo you have a unique element to your book review.

 

We appreciate all of the reviews that people are producing for this wonderful event! We are very proud and grateful to all of those folks who are helping this children’s literacy celebration grow and evolve year after year.

 

Mothers, Daughters, Queens, and Princesses

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{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.

ON MY DESK: New & Fresh Diverse Kidlit {The November Edition}

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The ON MY DESK series was born a few years ago thanks to my role as Project Manager for Multicultural Children’s Book Day.

One of the many job perks is that I get to enjoy the avalanche of amazing multicultural books for kids that are donated to our project.  Seriously, from October to January, it’s like Christmas every day for my and a good chunk of the year my office looks like a small bookstore!

And I love every second of it.

I also discover a ton of new titles from new authors in my every day online travels. I am active in several children’s book/illustrator groups and the level of new talent is mind-blowing. Sometimes, I see a new diverse book and before I can even get my hands on a copy, I want to share news of it with the world.

Being appreciative of every book that crosses my desk (or comes across my radar) I wanted to find a fun way to share those books with the loyal folks who show up here to read every week and support this non-profit. At that moment (2+ years ago), the On My Desk blog post series was born! It’s my way of sharing some amazing titles that don’t always get the attention they deserve.

So even though MCBD2021 hasn’t occurred yet (1/29/21), I am LOVING all of the amazing books all these wonderful multicultural books for kids that I am discovering every time I open the mail.

Here’s what the Mailman Book Fairy brought me this week:

BLACK GIRL MAGIC SPRINKLES by Chaunetta and Trinity Johnson

“Even if you haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean you can’t achieve it; because with just a sprinkle of your Black Girl Magic, you can be it!”

Black Girl Magic Sprinkles is a story about a young girl named Trinity, who dreams of one day being a teacher. However, she is discouraged because she does not often see women who look like her in successful jobs. She stumbles upon a jar of Black Girl Magic Sprinkles and is shown endless opportunities. It takes this encounter for her to realize that Black Girl Magic lives within her and she can be anything she wants to be.

No Voice Too Small: Kids can make a difference, so can YOU!

One thing that gives me hope for the future are the voices of young people.

In No Voice Too Small, a number of authors come together to highlight the strength and fight of fourteen young people.

Fans of We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices will love meeting fourteen young activists who have stepped up to make a change in their community and the United States.

Mari Copeny demanded clean water in Flint. Jazz Jennings insisted, as a transgirl, on playing soccer with the girls’ team. From Viridiana Sanchez Santos’s quinceañera demonstration against anti-immigrant policy to Zach Wahls’s moving declaration that his two moms and he were a family like any other, No Voice Too Small celebrates the young people who know how to be the change they seek. Fourteen poems honor these young activists. Featuring poems by Lesléa Newman, Traci Sorell, and Nikki Grimes. Additional text goes into detail about each youth activist’s life and how readers can get involved.

Following the Footsteps by Tina Tedesco-Vella

This cute picture book alludes to relevant topics that children encounter in today’s social media runs the world. The beautifully illustrated story follows a young non-binary child named Taylor as well as their mom, dad, and two pet dogs, Charlie and Chester, as they go on a beach vacation.

The family is enjoying their time at the beach when Taylor gets separated from them and other beachgoers and begins to panic. Although Taylor is afraid of being lost, being an only child, they are used to finding ways of entertainment independently. As a way of distracting from the situation at hand, Taylor notices the sea life and rock pools and begins creating an imaginary game. They take in the surrounding environment including the big ocean and they begin to listen to the waves. Listening to the ocean, Taylor breathes in and out to try and breathe with the sounds of the waves to help relax.

Especially in the current state of the world, children can be anxious with everything going on and it is important for them to find something simple so they can destress from feeling overwhelmed and lost by going back to the simple things in life. Tedesco-Vella wanted to reflect non-binary persons by not giving the main character, Taylor, a gender and encourage readers to express their true selves.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Balboa Press

SUMMARY OF THE Multicultural Children’s Book Day EVENT

FIRST, a giant blog tour —
Readers, parents, teachers, librarians, and caregivers are coming together to explore lots of books with diverse content and sharing their thoughts and feedback via book reviews, book lists, and links.

SECOND, a giant networking event —
This global event connects readers, caregivers, educators, librarians, non-profits, organizations, sponsors, co-hosts, bloggers, and thought leaders so we can all achieve a common goal of raising awareness on the importance of diversity in children’s and YA literature.

THIRD, a virtual book drive —
Through MCBD initiatives like the FREE Diverse Books for Classrooms Project, The Offline Classroom Swag Pack,  and continued outreach to underserved readers, proceeds raised during the course of this online event (and all year-long) go towards getting free multicultural books in locations where they are needed and into the hands of young readers.

Go HERE to read one of our recent blog posts, How to Tap Into the Buzz of a Multicultural Children’s Book Day Celebration.

​***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. For more information about Multicultural Children’s Book Day, please contact Becky at Becky@MulticulturalChildrensBookDay.com .