Multicultural Children's Book Day Reviews ~by Christy Mihaly

On January 26, 2023, Multicultural Children's Book Day (MCBD) celebrates its tenth anniversary of bringing culturally diverse books to children, parents, teachers, and librarians. This children's literacy project was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen, two moms who decided to shine the spotlight on multicultural books. As part of the annual celebration, bloggers receive a variety of books to review.

This year, I received two historical fiction books to review for MCBD. They're quite different from one another, and I'm excited to share them both here. 

Finding Moon Rabbit (CBH Media, 2022) is a middle grade novel by J.C. Kato (winner of the 2015 SCBWI Karen Cushman award) and J.C.²  This touching story is narrated by Koko, a young California girl sent with her mother and sister to Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming as part of the forced relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II. Koko's father has been sent to another camp, and her letters to him reflect her sorrow at the separation. 

Middle grade readers will empathize with Koko's plight while learning important history. Koko must navigate her loss of freedom, learn to live in cramped quarters, confront racism and injustice, make new friends, and find meaning and love in an involuntary community of people exiled within their own country. Illustrations include excerpts of historical documents and sketches by Estelle Ishigo, who also appears as a character in the story. Ishigo was a white woman who entered Heart Mountain with her Japanese American husband and recorded scenes of camp life in her sketchbooks. A note from the authors reveals that thirteen family members were held in wartime internment camps, and that their book found its beginnings in family stories. Find out more here. 

In Vicki: An Urban Legend and other short stories, author Diana Huang offers a selection of intriguing stories. The book's first half centers on Vicki, a girl from Los Angeles's Chinatown. A band of Black teens inadvertently kidnap Vicki in the process of nabbing her mother's Toyota to flee from a robbery. Good-natured and charming, they drive her to their home in South Central where Grandma treats her to some delicious and unfamiliar foods and everyone makes her comfortable before they return her to her Chinatown the next day. In this "urban legend," Vicki befriends the robbers, meets various of their family members, helps them out, escapes a riot, and learns a bit about racial and economic inequality. It's April 1992, during the trial of a group of police officers for the beating of Rodney King. Huang weaves humor into this lively L.A. tall tale of race, culture, and adventure. She is a gifted artist, and you can read more about her work here. 

The organizers of MCBD invite you to join the celebration, online and in real life. Year-round, MCBD offers free resources, teaching tools, booklists, downloads, and an initiative to distribute diverse, multicultural books -- over 10,000 to date. Details on this year's virtual celebrations are below. And check out these supporters:

MCBD 2023 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Pragmaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com)

🏅 Super Platinum Sponsor: Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media

🏅 Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages 

🏅 Gold Sponsors: Interlink Books, Publisher Spotlight 

🏅 Silver Sponsors: Cardinal Rule Press,  Lee & Low, Barefoot Books, Kimberly Gordon Biddle

🏅 Bronze Sponsors: Vivian Kirkfield, Patrice McLaurin , Quarto Group, Carole P. Roman, Star Bright Books, Redfin.com, Redfin Canada, Bay Equity Home Loans, Rent.com, Title Forward

MCBD 2023 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Authors: Sivan Hong, Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, Josh Funk , Stephanie M. Wildman, Gwen Jackson, Diana Huang, Afsaneh Moradian, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Eugenia Chu, Jacqueline Jules, Alejandra Domenzain, Gaia Cornwall, Ruth Spiro, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo, Tonya Duncan Ellis, Kiyanda and Benjamin Young/Twin Powers Books, Kimberly Lee , Tameka Fryer Brown, Talia Aikens-Nuñez, Marcia Argueta Mickelson, Kerry O’Malley Cerra, Jennie Liu, Heather Murphy Capps, Diane Wilson, Sun Yung Shin, Shannon Gibney, John Coy, Irene Latham and Charles Waters, Maritza M Mejia, Lois Petren, J.C. Kato and J.C.², CultureGroove, Lindsey Rowe Parker, Red Comet Press, Shifa Saltagi Safadi, Nancy Tupper Ling, Deborah Acio, Asha Hagood, Priya Kumari, Chris Singleton, Padma Venkatraman, Teresa Robeson, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Martha Seif Simpson, Rochelle Melander, Alva Sachs, Moni Ritchie Hadley, Gea Meijering, Frances Díaz Evans, Michael Genhart, Angela H. Dale, Courtney Kelly, Queenbe Monyei, Jamia Wilson, Charnaie Gordon, Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Debbie Zapata, Jacquetta Nammar Feldman, Natasha Yim, Tracy T. Agnelli, Kitty Feld, Anna Maria DiDio, Ko Kim, Shachi Kaushik 

MCBD 2023 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2023 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

• MCBD 2023 Poster

• Mental Health Support for Stressful Times Classroom Kit

• 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

• Gallery of Our Free Posters

• FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

📌 Register HERE for the MCBD Read Your World Virtual Party.  Thursday, January 26, 2023, at 9 pm EST for the 10th annual Multicultural Children's Book Day Read Your World Virtual Party! This year it's on Zoom (not Twitter). An epically fun and fast-paced hour will feature 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 online conversation, and connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians.

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!