Multicultural Children's Book Day

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#OwnVoices Autism book by Adriana White, an Autistic Librarian #MCBDAutismAcceptanceMonth

April 4, 2022 by Frances Evans

15 Books for Kids and Young Adults by Autistic Authors

Guest post by Adriana White

As an autistic librarian, I’m often asked if I can recommend any good books about autism. And I certainly can! I really enjoy sharing book recommendations, because one, I love supporting my favorite authors and their amazing books. And two, I believe that we have to provide kids with a wide variety of books that can serve (as Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop wrote) as windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors into the diverse world in which we live. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: #AdrianaWhite, #AutismAwareness, #MCBDAutismAcceptanceMonth, #OwnVoices, #OwnVoices Autism book by Adriana White, #ReadYourWorld, diverse booklist, diverserkidlit

Surrounded by Superheroes: Diverse Book Celebrations from MCBD2021

February 7, 2021 by Valarie Budayr

We did it! Another wildly successful Multicultural Children’s Book Day is complete. Once again, the MCBD team was touched and elevated by the overwhelming support and enthusiasm surrounding our diverse children’s literature online celebration. In the days following the crescendo of the event, and our crazy-fun annual Twitter Party,  we all have spent hours sifting through the amazing camaraderie, comments, reviews, classroom celebrations, and touching kudos that were offered up during our on and offline global event. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2021 MCBD, Book review, MCCBD News, Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, book review, Children's Book Author, diverse picture books, diverserkidlit, Multicultural Author, Multicultural Books for kids, Multicultural Children's Book Day, multicultural children's book publisher

New & Fresh Diverse Kidlit Books: #OWNVOICES

August 23, 2020 by Valarie Budayr

As many of you know, Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD) is a global non-profit initiative that celebrates diverse authors and works year-round to raise awareness on the importance of diversity in children’s literature.

With our ears to the ground and eyes peeled (that is such an ODD phrase!!), we are also always on the prowl for new multicultural books that we know our supporters, educators, parents, caregivers, book reviewers, and librarians would appreciate knowing about.

Sometimes, when someone is a first-time author, getting attention on your new children’s book is a lot like shouting into a hurricane. Delightfully, the options for amazing diverse kidlit and YA books is endless…but that makes it all the more daunting for authors with new releases or first-time offerings.

Shining the spotlight on authors of multicultural/diverse board books, picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, and YA reads is one of our many missions. With that in mind, enjoy the latest “scores” in our ongoing quest to find the best books for our young readers.

Enjoy!

Diverse #OWNVOICES Kidlit Books That Should be on Your Bookshelf

How Angels are Made by Bryson Thompson Sr.

Based on a true story of the relationship between the author’s mother and son, How Angels are Made was a true creation in the midst of a tragedy. Author Bryson Thompson Sr. wrote the initial version of the book only two days after returning home from her funeral. During the initial days of the passing of his mother, Bryson and his wife spent significant time speaking with their son, BJ, about what happened to his mother. In the midst of those conversations, it became very apparent that they needed to be very clear and transparent with young BJ and answer as many questions as he had. One thing the Thompson family took away from their situation was how confused youth are during times of grief. From there, Bryson focused his energy on using their tragedy as a tool for youth and families to be able to work through their own healing processes.

Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and David Litchfield

This beautiful book was created to raise awareness for Save the Children US and is an uplifting story of hope to comfort children and families in these challenging times. Thanks to MCBD Supporter, Candlewick,  Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and David Litchfield as a free e-book can be downloaded for FREE here until September 30:  stayhome.candlewick.com and can be downloaded for FREE here until September 30:  stayhome.candlewick.com

 

Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim

This book was a labor of love that spanned 8 years. It is inspired by my first friend in America and how her kindness made me feel welcomed in this country.
Danbi is an unlikely hero and by all measures. She is a Korean immigrant; she doesn’t speak English; she is utterly confused with her American surroundings. How is she the hero? And to whom?
I also love that this book has multiple themes including multiculturalism, friendship, immigration, and back-to-school.
I believe children should have hero choices that they can identify with, whatever their race, culture, or socio-economic background. And it’s important for those who grow up in one culture to see the beauty of cultures other than theirs. This can be life-changing for a child who is frightened and bewildered in a new country, and craving acceptance.  I feel it is my mission to deliver this positive message of hope to that child sitting in a corner, alone, because she or he doesn’t feel accepted for the color of her skin or the culture he is from. After all, those children desperately need heroic characters that empower them.
This is why I wrote the book – in hopes to start that conversation with children, with families, in classrooms, and with each other.

I Am Different Just Like You by Rebecca DalMolin

I Am Different, Just Like You! is a creative non-fiction children’s book that uses fun illustrations and real photos to explain what Down syndrome is and the remarkable things that people with Down syndrome are capable of doing. It showcases a little girl named Adella who, just like other little girls, loves to run, play, sing, and dance. But there are also things that make Adella different. One difference is that she has Down syndrome. As she explains what Down syndrome is, readers will find that there are things that make them different too, just like Adella. For every book purchased, $1 will be donated to a charitable organization that helps support the Down syndrome community.

Devin’s Discovery by Skylar Miller (Author), Ros Webb (Illustrator)

Devin’s Discovery is a story about an ordinary boy who happens to wear orthotic braces. He realizes he’s not as different as he thought as he discovers there are many other children who need special orthotics and prosthetics to support them, too! A story of acceptance and embracing what makes us all unique, this is a book for EVERY child!

Do you feel you have a diverse children’s book that deserves some visibility?
Shoot us an email at Admin (at) MulticulturalChildrensBookDay (dot) com.
**No Kickstarter Campaigns, please.

About Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD) is an online and offline celebration that attracts thousands of supporters, educators, parents, caregivers, book reviewers, and quality authors and publishers who join forces to shine the spotlight on diversity in children and YA literature. Celebrated annually on the last Friday in January, this global non-profit offers a plethora of free resources, teaching tools, booklists, downloads, and a year-around initiative to get multicultural and diverse books into the hands of young readers. To date, they have donated over 8,000 books to underserved kids, classrooms, and organizations, and that number continues to climb. To learn more about MCBD, visit them on the web and be follow their official hashtag #ReadYourWorld on social media.
#OWNVOICES

Filed Under: Multicultural Booklist, New and Fresh Diverse Kidlit Books: Tagged With: #OwnVoices, #ReadYourWorld, book review, Diverse #OWNVOICES Kidlit Books, Diverse Kidlit Book, Diverse Kidlit Books, diverse picture books, diverserkidlit, New and Fresh Diverse Kidlit Books:

New Diverse Kidlit Books that Embrace the Uniqueness of our World!

August 11, 2020 by Valarie Budayr

Before we just in and start sharing the latest in amazing multicultural books that have come across our desks, we want to say this…

Thank you for supporting the diverse children’s literacy initiative Multicultural Children’s Book Day! Our 8th celebration will take place on January 29, 2021, and we cannot wait for the celebration to begin.

We always welcome quality, relevant, and literacy-related contributions from writers, authors, publishers, and organizations. We’ve had some really, really cool. If you are looking for guest posts about diverse books that focus on timely topics and unique language, there have been many on Multicultural Children’s Book Day blog recently.

Here are a few of the latest:

Author Idan Ravin shares his wonderful book about patience and one of our new mantras in life #FindYourCornbread HERE.

Author John Stickler shares his story of a surprise international prize for his delightful diverse book Maya and the Turtle HERE.

Maya and the Turtle: A Korean Folk Tale

Language Lizard has some ammmaaazzzing language tools, books, and resources for teachers, distance learners, and homeschoolers HERE.

We love it when we have guests on our blog that showcase books with hard-to-find languages.

We are thrilled that authors Monica Hernandez and Bilen Haile stopped by to share their Sri Lankan kidlit book…

… and we felt like we hit the lotto when Sandra Amoako stopped by to share her Ghanian (Twi) language book for beginning readers.

In our opinion, there can never be enough kids’ books available on the topic of unique family dynamics.

Kendra and Claire-Voe Ocampo, authors of the new LGBTQ children’s picture book, Mighty May Won’t Cry Today have penned a beautiful diverse story a little girl and her two moms that should be on every bookshelf.

**Discover even more excellent articles and posts about diversity, languages, equality, activism, and so much more on the MCBD blog HERE.

Ways to Get Involved in Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021

Book Donation: Creators can donate books that will be reviewed and shared on social media.

Sponsorships: Sponsorships are directly connected to the yearly celebration itself and are a great way to tap into the hundreds-of-thousands of views our social media channels get from November to February 1. We have sponsorships at a variety of price points to fit any budget. All levels of Sponsorships for MCBD 2021 will open up September 1.

Do a Social Shout Out for your book or Favorite Author’s Book: Shout Outs are a one-time social media push on an author/diverse book’s behalf. Our Social Shout Outs are available all year long and act as a fundraiser for our Free Books for Classrooms Project. See samples of how awesome our Social Shout Out images look HERE.

Join our Exclusive MCBD Facebook Group: This group is a nice mix of parents, book reviewers, teachers, and authors, so you will be able to connect with like-minded people!

Guest posts: As you can tell, MCBD loves to welcome guest post ideas that are in alignment with our mission! For more information about guest posting for us, contact Becky at Becky@MulticulturalChildrensBookDay.com .

Be a Book Reviewer: We are always looking for people who would love a free diverse book in exchange for an honest review on social media during the month of January. If this is something you are interested in, subscribe to the MCBD blog and we will let you know as soon as the reviewer sign up is open September 1.

If you have any questions about Multicultural Children’s Book Day, contact Becky at Becky@MulticulturalChildrensBookDay.com 

 

Filed Under: 2021 MCBD, Multicultural Booklist, On My Desk Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, book review, Children's Book Author, diverse picture books, diverserkidlit, foreign language for kids, Language Lizard, Multicultural Author, Multicultural Children's Book Day, Twi language

5 Ways that Increasing the Awareness of Diverse Books is Paying Off

April 2, 2020 by Valarie Budayr

Our world is an exciting place. Cultures are blending, family dynamics are changing, and the world that the next generation is inheriting has become a delightful melting pot of different cultures, races, and traditions. Kidlit provides families with an invaluable opportunity to discover our world through vibrant stories, education resources, and colorful illustrations and imagery. All without ever having to leave the comfort of home.

 Also, imagine being a child in a multicultural family and not be able to “find yourself” within the pages of the books you read. According to the University of Wisconsin’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center, the number of books published in the U.S. by and about people of color is still alarmingly non-reflective of the demographics of the country. The good news is; this statistic is poised for a change thanks to the increasing awareness of libraries, organizations, parents, and teachers. Here are a few reasons why we think this is improving:

**Reason One: In the past, there was a big question mark in many minds when it came to identifying what books were truly considered “diverse” or “multicultural.” Now key factors to help parents, caregivers, educators, and librarians identify books are more widely known and shared and initiatives like #OwnVoices also help book buyers add more diverse books to their home or classroom bookshelf. In a nutshell:

  • Look for books (picture books, chapter book, or YA books) that contain main characters of color as well as supporting characters that represent a minority point of view.
  • Look for books that share ideas, stories, and information about cultures, race, religion, language, disabilities, and traditions.
  • Consider Non-fiction: Fiction stories are great, but non-fiction books that embrace our world and can also offer kids new ways to connect to a diverse world in a fun and entertaining way as well.
  • Research the hashtag #OwnVoices for books written by people of color about their own diverse experiences and journeys.

**Reason Two: As the demand for diverse kids’ books increases, so does the awareness from publishers charged with producing those books. It is no secret that, up until the last ten years, children’s book publishing has been very…white. But now, veteran publishing houses that have been committed to offering only the best diverse books for decades are getting the recognition they deserve thanks to heightened awareness from the book-buying public. For those looking for traditionally published heavy hitters in the diverse kidlit publishing world, consider visiting these sources for high-quality multicultural books for kids:

  • Lee & Low Books, the largest multicultural children’s book publisher in the country, and one of the few minority-owned publishing has been committed to producing children’s literature that reflects other races, religions, cultures, and traditions since 1991.
  • Capstone: As Minnesota-based publishing, Capstone has been making its mark in the multicultural kidlit book arena for over 25 years. Capstone offers a fantastic line-up of diverse books for young readers of all age groups but is best known for its recent 2018 Caldecott Honor Book, A Different Pond by Bao Phi, illus. by Thi Bui
  • Wisdom Tales Press: Wisdom Tales is the name of the children’s book imprint of the award-winning publishing house, World Wisdom, which was founded in 1980. Wisdom Tales publishes both children’s and teen titles and was created to share the wisdom, beauty, and values of traditional cultures and people from around the world with young readers and their families.
  • Candlewick Press: Candlewick Press is one of the fastest-growing children’s book publishers in the United States. Established in 1991, we are a progressive and creative company with a steadfast commitment to the best. Some of their more notable diverse titles include Baby Goes to Market, Martin Luther King: The Peaceful Warrior, 42 is Not Just a Number: The Odyssey of Jackie Robinson, American Hero, Pattan’s Pumpkin: An Indian Flood Story and Escalera a La Luna by Maya Soetoro-Ng and Yuyi Morales.

**Reason Three: The need for books that reflect our world is on the radar of today’s librarians as well. “I think all librarians would like to see more good quality multicultural books written for kids,” noted Santa Monica librarian, Amy Muscoplat. “Many of those good books that do exist do not always get in front of collections librarians because they may not show up in the guides they turn to for book reviews and more. This is especially true for books from very small presses or indie books. If we could be made more aware of these high-quality diversity children’s books, it would help us to recommend them to young patrons, families, and teachers.” 

**Reason Four: Publishing diverse books are not just for big publishing houses anymore. Many beautiful and accurate multicultural reads are being produced by small boutique publishing houses that pack a big punch. Here are a few: 

Make A Way Media: Owned by an ambitious mom who also happens to be a lawyer and children and family health advocate, Dee Cummings has dedicated the last decade to writing and publishing children’s picture books that fill much-needed reading gaps. Her diverse books cover a wide range of topics including family dynamics, mindfulness for kids, and empathy.

Books can teach kids hard facts like geography and history, and soft, yet-no-less-important, skills like empathy and kindness. Make A Way Media is definitely meant to teach the latter. Its books focus on spreading positivity and instilling gratitude with each turn of the page. ~Mater Mea, Lifestyle Magazine

She penned her latest book, In The Nick of Time, because of a glaring void in Christmas books that offered a little brown boy as the main character; a character that also helps Santa save Christmas. To learn more about Make A Way Media and her catalog of diverse picture books for kids, go here.

Shout Mouse Press: Shout Mouse Press is a nonprofit writing program and publishing house that empowers young people from marginalized backgrounds to tell their own stories in their voices act as leaders and agents of change.

Pack-n-Go Girls: Those who have a middle reader in the family that dreams of mysterious adventures and faraway places, the Pack-n-Go Girls® chapter books are just the ticket.

Star Bright Books: Star Bright Books is an independent children’s book publishing house established in 1994. They are dedicated to producing great books for great kids—books for parents and children to discover together. Bilingual titles from Star Bright that are a “must-read” include Books and Bricks: How a School Rebuilt the Community (Ages 10-12), Cradle Me (A birth to 3 board book published in English, Navajo/English, Ojibwe/English), Alicia’s Happy Day (For ages 4-8 also in Spanish/English), and A Fish to Feed (A ages 1-3 board book that is also available in Spanish/English).

Inhabit Education, Inc.: Canadian-based Inhabit Education is a Nunavut-based educational publishing company with a mission to provide parents and educators with resources infused with an authentic Northern perspective, Inuit languages, ways of life, and imagery.

**Reason Five: Adults now understand that it is not only up to educators and libraries to get books of a multicultural nature into the hands of young readers, it is also the responsibility of parents and caregivers. Thanks to access to endless booklists and free resources for at-home use and homeschooling, parents are not struggling to identify books that allow their child to “see themselves” within the pages, or open up new and exciting worlds. As soon as their Littles can hold a board book, parents and caregivers can begin introducing their readers to new races, religions, family dynamics, traditions, and cultures.  Online sites like 1000 Black Girl Books, Scholastic, Kitaab World, and Multicultural Children’s Book Day are all excellent sources of diverse book titles and author recommendations.

  A Two-Minute Action Plan for Parents

 Two of the best ways to help kids learn and enjoy learning about new cultures and traditions are through the exploration of ethnic food and diverse books. Books are especially influential because they contain the seeds of curiosity that inspire readers to look further and discover what is “out there” in the real world. Having access to these kinds of books is an integral part of learning, play, and imagination while also helping kids understand and be curious about other lives, countries, and cultures.

Nevertheless, it is not enough to own these multicultural books. Studies have shown that reading to a child as little as twenty minutes per week will result in stronger readers and an interest in books that will last a lifetime. Reading aloud is also an excellent chance to share adventure, intrigue, and emotion during a time when the reader (and listener) are 100% present in the moment. In a hectic, loud, and fast-paced world, those one-one moments between child and parent are irreplaceable.

5 Ways that Increasing the Awareness of Diverse Books is Paying Off

Filed Under: diversity in children’s books, Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld, 5 Ways that Increasing the Awareness of Diverse Books is Paying Off, diverse books, Diverse Kids' Books, diverse picture books for kids, diverserkidlit, Make A Way Media

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