Multicultural Books for MCBD ~ by Christy Mihaly

Multicultural Children’s Book Day is celebrating its ninth year! MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of kids’ books that celebrate diversity. Read about the MCBD's history HERE. This year's Big Day is Friday, January 28.

This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen, two diverse book-loving moms who wanted to shine a spotlight on multicultural books and authors, and get those books into the hands of educators and young readers.

I'm privileged to be a MCBD book reviewer for the eighth year. I received four wonderful #ownvoices books to review today. Just look at these beautiful books! Let's get them (and lots of diverse books!) onto kids' bookshelves. Keep reading after the reviews for info about MCBD resources and programming -- and a Twitter party on Friday.

Written and illustrated by Australian artist Maxine Beneba Clarke, When We Say Black Lives Matter (Candlewick) is a poetic anthem complemented with powerful art. A Black child's parents explain the BLM movement with moving lines like: 

"Darling, when we sing that Black Lives Matter, and we're dancing through the streets, we're saying: fear will not destroy our joy, defiance in our feet." 

Clarke has said she created this book to introduce the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement and its underpinnings to young children -- and she has succeeded admirably. This book was published in Australia in 2020 and in the U.S. last year.

Dinner on Domingos, written by Alexandra Katona and illustrated by Claudia Navarro (Barefoot Books) invites us to enjoy the Sunday traditions of an extended Ecuadorian-American family. All the tias, tios, and primos gather at abuelita's house for playing, dancing, remembering, and dining on yummy locro (potato soup) and other delicacies. Spanish words are used naturally, with context to signal their meanings. Lively prose and colorful illustrations show how each room in abuelita's home has a special purpose and meaning, and how together they help turn Sunday into "Domingo, the best day of the week." Katona's author's note adds depth and detail and includes photos of the author and her abuelita, along with a recipe for locro. Yum!

Farah Rocks Florida, by Susan Mauddi Darraj with illustrations by Ruaida Mannaa, is the fourth book in the "Farah Rocks" series published by Capstone (Stone Arch Books), for ages 8-12. In this installment, when Farah's brother needs surgery, Farah is sent to stay with her Palestinian grandmother in Florida. She faces her Sitti's many rules and expectations, and deals with a cranky neighbor and homesickness. Farah's curiosity and positive energy help her overcome the trials of being the only kid in the retirement community. The author gracefully incorporates Farah's Palestinian heritage into this story of how Farah develops a new understanding and closeness with her grandmother. 

The Kayla: A Modern Day Princess picture book series is created by Make A Way Media (Super Platinum MCBD sponsor), written by Deedee Cummings and illustrated by Charlene Mosley. Inspired by the life of Cummings' own daughter, actress Kayla Pecchioni, these books follow the story of a Black girl who dreams of singing and dancing on Broadway. I was able to review the final book in the series, "A Little Magic," in which Kayla finishes college and is ready to fly. Kayla explains to her mom that rather than getting married, she's heading off to follow her Broadway dreams. In this sweet tale, Mom is surprised but ultimately supportive. Mother and daughter reflect on the lessons and milestones from her childhood that have enabled Kayla to make her own plan for her life, and then to follow it. An inspirational read for all.

MCBD 2022 is Supported by these Medallion Sponsors:

SUPER PLATINUM: Make A Way Media

PLATINUM: Language Lizard

GOLD: Barefoot Books, KidLitTV, Candlewick, Capstone, Abrams Books

SILVER: Pack-n-Go Girls, Charlotte Riggle, Kimberly Gordon Biddle  

BRONZE: Carole P. Roman, Patrice McLaurin, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin.com, Redfin Canada, Redfin Mortgage, Redfin/Title Forward, Create & Educate, Star Bright Books, Vivian Kirkfield, Dr. Eleanor Wint, Kind World Publishing, Snowflake Stories, Lisa Wee, SONGJU MA, Melissa Stoller, J.C. Kato and J.C.², Crystel Patterson, Audrey Press, Pragmaticmom, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales 

MCBD 2022 is Supported by these Author Sponsors:

Charlene Mosley (official MCBD2022 Poster Creator)

Illustrator Isabelle Roxas (Class Kit Poster Creator)

Alva Sachs, Brianna Carter, Ebony Zay Zay, Rita Bhandari, Gwen Jackson, Lois Petren/The 5 Enchanted Mermaids, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Josh Funk, Afsaneh Moradian, Eugenia Chu, Maritza Martínez Mejía, Diana Huang, Kathleen Burkinshaw, CultureGroove, Sandra Elaine Scott, Dorena Williamson, Veronica Appleton, Alejandra Domenzain, Lauren Muskovitz and Sandfish Publishing, Tonya Duncan Ellis, Kimberly Lee, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Nancy Tupper Ling, Winsome Hudson-Bingham, Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, Sivan Hong, Michael Genhart, Debbie Dadey, Elizabeth Cureton, Stephanie Wildman, Maryann Jacob, Sherri Maret, Rochelle Melander, Dia Mixon, Kiyanda and Benjamin Young, Shereen Rahming, Linda Thornburg and Katherine Archer,  Rebecca Flansburg and BA Norrgard , Maxine Schur  Natalie McDonald-Perkins

MCBD 2022 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2022 is Honored to be Supported by these Media Partners!

Check out MCBD's Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents

Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit

FREE Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Raising Awareness on Systemic Racism in America Classroom Kit

Gallery of Our Free Posters

FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

Join the MCBD celebration on Friday, Jan 28, 2022, at 9 pm EST for the 9th annual Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party!

This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas. MCBD will be giving away an 8-Book Bundle every 5 minutes plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. ***

Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation and connect with like-minded parents, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. And, follow MCBD and Make A Way Media on Twitter. And don't forget that Twitter party!

Celebrating Multicultural Children's Book Day

Multicultural Children's Book Day 2021 is Jan. 29! 

#ReadYourWorld

MCBD, a celebration of the diversity of kidlit, was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen and is back for its eighth year. 

GROG supports the MCBD mission: to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include children's books celebrating diversity in homes and on school and library bookshelves. 

Read more about MCBD's features and history here and check out the Twitter Party information and other resources listed at the end of this post. 

To celebrate MCBD, bloggers post their reviews of newly published diverse books for kids. This year I'm excited to be reviewing two picture books published last year by Barefoot Books: From My Window, by Otavio Junior, illustrated by Vanina Starkoff, and Amazing Places, by Miralda Colombo, illustrated by Beatrice Cerocchi. 

In From My Window, author Otavio Junior, using language so lyrical it's a poem, describes a young narrator's view from the window of his home in Rio de Janeiro. The narrator lives in one of the city's favelas, informal ramshackle neighborhoods without government services such as running water and sewer. 

A big part of the delight of this book is that it's an #OwnVoices story, about a kind of neighborhood not often seen in kids' books. The author grew up in a favela. As a boy, he discovered a book in the trash. Junior says that book saved him, and that he's been reading ever since. He grew up to establish a children's library in his favela. In this book, he conveys the joys of life in the self-governed favela community, full of friends, music, and games.

 

I appreciated that From My Window provides background information, including that "while it is known for having problems with violence, there are many other parts of life in a favela." Junior tells us that a favela "is a whole world inside a city, with its language, culture, and traditions." 

Vanina Starkoff's illustrations are brilliantly colored with fanciful details, sure to engage young readers. They convey the author's joy in his home, along with feelings of sadness and fear at different points in the story. Starkoff is from Argentina and also lives in Brazil; her art shows her familiarity with the tropical beauty of South America. 

In Amazing Places, Miralda Colombo describes 15 wonder-filled spots around the world, from the pyramids of Egypt to Machu Picchu to Easter Island and beyond. As a nonfiction nerd, I particularly appreciate the fact-rich panels, travel tips, the world map showing the locations of all the sites, and an illustrated glossary. 

Beatrice Cerocchi's art conveys the magic of these places. Cartoon-like features depict what you'd need to pack and things you might see and do in the featured attractions. Overall this is a terrific introduction to natural and cultural wonders around the world.

Barefoot Books is a publisher to follow. They produce beautifully illustrated books with heart and soul. Many of them bring a global perspective to introductory nonfiction for kids. I'm particularly excited about this house because they're set to publish my book (which is all about water) this fall. I've been collaborating intensely with the creative team over these last months, and am finding them a joy to work with. 

So, happy Multicultural Children's Book Day! Why not read on for a selection of amazing diverse-books resources. Check out the Twitter Party on Friday, and celebrate MCBD by reading!

Free MCBD Resources: 

Book lists and activities

Homeschool lists and resources

Educator Classroom Activism Kit

Educator Classroom Empathy Kit

Educator Classroom Kindness Kit

Educator Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit

Educator Classroom Poverty Kit

Free Posters!!

Free Diverse Books for Educators!! 

TWITTER PARTY SIGN UP: 

Twitter Party is Friday, Jan. 29, at 9 p.m. EST 

Book discussions, recommendations, ideas and inspiration, plus GIVE-AWAYS! 

BONUS PRIZES!!