Recommended Picture Book: Yatandou by Gloria Whelan

Title: Yatandou

Author: Gloria Whelan

Illustrator: Peter Sylvada

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press; 1st Printing edition (August 22, 2007)

Age: 6 and up

Topic: Hard work, learning how to read, Mali culture and lifestyle, family life,

Opening: Our Mali village lies beneath rocks that stretch like two arms holding us safe.

Book Summary:

In contemporary Mali, a country in West Africa, a little girl named Yatandou explains how a simple machine changes her life and the lives of all of the women and children in her village.  The introduction of this amazing new piece of equipment means that the women and children will no longer spend their days pounding millet by hand.

Resources:

Find some activities, games, recipes here. 

Why I Like This Book:

This book shares more than just a story, but the hopes, dreams and achievements of young Yatandou and the women in her village. This story explores the heritage and daily routines of Yatandou and her family. I love that the narrator is Yatandou herself, allowing children to experience her day with her. Yatandou shows children that hard work and teamwork goes hand in hand when everyone wants to achieve success.

Multicultural Children's Book Day: Lulu and the Very Big Meanies by Mac McGooshie

Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Read Your World

January 27, 2015

Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries.

 Children’s reading and play advocates Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book and Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom teamed up in late 2013 to create an ambitious (and much needed) national event. This dynamic duo is hosting yet another Multicultural Children’s Book Day as a way of celebrating diversity in children’s books.

Once again, we have joined the campaign to advocate multiculturalism and diversity in children's literature. We had the wonderful opportunity to review, Lulu and the Very Big Meanies. Please be sure to visit the host, cohosts, and sponsor websites to find even more exceptional and diverse books for all ages.

 

 



Title: Lulu and the Very Big Meanies

Author: Mac McGooshie

Illustrator: Alexis Hogwood

Publisher: Muslim Writers Publishing

Age: 7-10

Topic: Bullies, Moving, Making good choices, Muslim life

Summary: Lulu can't cut a break this week! First she finds out that she's moving to a new Muslim school and a new town for the next school year, and it's not even her fault.
Then Veronica B. and Veronica C., the most miserable bullies in the world, hand-pick Lulu for their evil plans.
Add to that a very sick kitty and the something buzzing in the woods out back, well, Lulu is just not having a great time of it.
Even with the help of her old friends and her family, can she possibly survive the Week of the Very Big Meanies?

Resources:
Lulu's personal dictionary at the back of the book explains the Arabic terms used throughout the story.

This is a great book to open up the discussion of bullies, how to stand up to them, good and bad ways to stand up to bullies.

Why I like this book:

Lulu is funny, sassy, caring and intelligent.

Lulu has a lot going on in her life. There are mysterious sounds going on in the woods behind her house, her parents dropped the M word on her (they are moving to another city and school) AND she is being bullied by the Veries at two. Lulu does her best to persuade her parents that it is a BAD idea to move to a new city and send her to ha new school. That is, until she visits the new school.

Lulu is smart. It shows in that she is two grades ahead of kids her own age. Maybe that’s why the Veries, Veronica C and Veronica B, like to pick on her. One day, the two girls play a particularly mean trick on Lulu which destroys her favorite backpack and school contents. With the help of her friend, and twin brothers, Lulu decides to fight back. But not in the most honest way. Just as her plan is underway, she has a change of heart.

Oh, and the mysterious noise and movement in the woods? You will never guess what Lulu and her father finds lurking back there! :D

Dealing with school bullies, moving to unfamiliar territory, leaving behind friends and having to make new friends is something all children can relate to. The author uses humor and a likeable character to discuss these issues.

**********************************************************************

MCCBD’s  2015 Sponsors include Platinum Sponsors: Wisdom Tales Press, Daybreak Press Global Bookshop, Gold Sponsors:  Satya House,  MulticulturalKids.com,   Author Stephen Hodges and the Magic Poof, Silver Sponsors: Junior Library Guild,  Capstone Publishing, Lee and Low Books,  The Omnibus Publishing. Bronze Sponsors:Double Dutch Dolls, Bliss Group Books, Snuggle with Picture Books Publishing,  Rainbow Books,   Author FeliciaCapers,   Chronicle Books   Muslim Writers Publishing ,East West Discovery Press.

Don't forget our hashtag for this event is #ReadYourWorld

We are hosting a Twitter party! Join us for Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party onJan 27th 9:00pm EST. Use hashtag: #ReadYourWorld to win 10 book packages. Use this info to share with your readers and to tweet it out!

 

If you have not done so, check out the MCCBD blog! Thanks to support from the Children's Book Council we are posting author interviews like crazy and are thrilled with the response. You can find the MCCBD blog here: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/blog/

Platinum Sponsor Wisdom Tales Press is hosting a book giveaway on their website that anyone can enter. Winner will receive 6 Wisdom Tales Books of their choice. Here's a tweet: Book #giveaway at Wisdom Tales Press! Winner will receive 6 Wisdom Tales Books of their choice. #ReadYourWorld http://ow.ly/Hr0MC

 

Multicultural Children's Book Day: The Dragon New Year: a review

Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Read Your World

January 27, 2015

Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries.

 Children’s reading and play advocates Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book and Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom teamed up in late 2013 to create an ambitious (and much needed) national event. This dynamic duo is hosting yet another Multicultural Children’s Book Day as a way of celebrating diversity in children’s books.

Once again, we have joined the campaign to advocate multiculturalism and diversity in children's literature. We had the wonderful opportunity to review, The Dragon New Year, a Chinese New Year story. Please be sure to visit the host, cohosts, and sponsor websites to find even more exceptional and diverse books for all ages.

Title: The Dragon New Year: A Chinese Legend

Author: David Bouchard

Illustrator: Zhong-Yang Huang

Publisher: Peachtree Publishers, September 1, 1999

Age: 6 and up

Topic: Character, Values, Holidays: Chinese New Years, Dragons, Legends

Opening: "Please do not leave me alone, grandmother! I cannon sleep!" the small girl cried softly from her bed. "The fireworks are so brights. And grandmother, why are people making all that noise?"

Book Summary: 
When a mother loses her son to the dragon New Year, she and the great Buddha decide to make sure that the dragon never returns to the village again.

Resources:
There is an author's note at the back of the book that talks a bit about Buddha, dragons and the Chinese New Year traditions.
This link has ten craft activities including a dragon dance video, dragon mask, Chinese coloring pages and more.


Why I Like This Book:
This is the story of how the festive celebration of the Chinese New  Year began. Well, it is one version of how the loud, colorful celebration began. The author says it is a legend but it is really a made up story using elements of Chinese folklore and holiday traditions.

This story is told in the voice of a grandmother, lovingly comforting her young granddaughter who is frightened by all the noise and bright lights of festivities on her street. So how did the celebration begin? Long ago......New Year is a sea dragon that comes out at the beginning of the new year and feeds on the villages nearby the sea. One day, a mother witnesses the dragon devour her only son while out on the stormy sea. In her grief, she stays behind in the village as the other villagers prepare to leave their homes until the dragon returns to sea. All alone, a monk stops by and asks her for help. She helps the man then questions why he is there. The monk, who turns out to be Buddha, has a plan to get rid of the sea dragon for good. It's a crazy idea but the grieving mother goes along with the plan as she wants her village to live in peace again.

The paintings are absolutely gorgeous. They lend an elegant portrait to the story told. The paintings are bright, detailed and large. The story is a bit lengthy but the illustrations are what hold your attention.

This is definitely for an older child, the paintings portray a very scary dragon in a few of the illustration. Young children may be frightened by it.

********************************************************************
MCCBD’s  2015 Sponsors include Platinum Sponsors: Wisdom Tales Press, Daybreak Press Global Bookshop, Gold Sponsors:  Satya House,  MulticulturalKids.com,   Author Stephen Hodges and the Magic Poof, Silver Sponsors: Junior Library Guild,  Capstone Publishing, Lee and Low Books,  The Omnibus Publishing. Bronze Sponsors:Double Dutch Dolls, Bliss Group Books, Snuggle with Picture Books Publishing,  Rainbow Books,   Author FeliciaCapers,   Chronicle Books   Muslim Writers Publishing ,East West Discovery Press.

Don't forget our hashtag for this event is #ReadYourWorld

We are hosting a Twitter party! Join us for Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party onJan 27th 9:00pm EST. Use hashtag: #ReadYourWorld to win 10 book packages. Use this info to share with your readers and to tweet it out!

If you have not done so, check out the MCCBD blog! Thanks to support from the Children's Book Council we are posting author interviews like crazy and are thrilled with the response. You can find the MCCBD blog here: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/blog/

Platinum Sponsor Wisdom Tales Press is hosting a book giveaway on their website that anyone can enter. Winner will receive 6 Wisdom Tales Books of their choice. Here's a tweet: Book #giveaway at Wisdom Tales Press! Winner will receive 6 Wisdom Tales Books of their choice. #ReadYourWorld http://ow.ly/Hr0MC

Meet the Author! Mac McGooshie!

Meet children's author Mac McGooshie.

Mac McGooshie is the author of the new Lulubug's Week in the Life series. Mac's background is in legal, restaurants and all things written. She has lived in many places in her life, but considers her transplanted self at home among the red dirt farms of Southern Virginia and North Carolina's Piedmont.

Today, Mac McGooshie while share her Fab Five with us.

Who is your favorite author?

My favorite book is the Quran, and its author is my favorite. :)  But let's see... I like scary books, so I'm partial to Stephen King ... For kids books, I adore Sammy Keyes-- she's so savvy and cool, so I would have to say Wendlin Van Draanen.

What is your favorite childhood book?

I read so many books as a kid, it's difficult to pick one!  I loved the classics--Nancy Drew, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Louisa May Alcott.  Once I was old enough to enjoy scifi, I turned on to the Stainless Steel Rat. Loved any kind of parody from a very young age. :)

Where is your favorite place to write?

My favorite place is my porch, with coffee!

What is your favorite food?

My favorite foods: steak, ice cream, popcorn, and not necessarily in that order...

What is the funniest thing you have ever done?

Oh my goodness. I wasn't always a Muslim... I can't talk about that. But rest assured, it was funny. ;)

Do's and Don'ts of Celebrating MLK Day | Teaching Tolerance

Do's and Don'ts of Celebrating MLK Day | Teaching Tolerance

Teaching Tolerance has created a wonderful list of Do's and Don'ts for teachers including and sharing the life and legacy of Dr. King with their students.

Writing in The Washington Post in 1983, Coretta Scott King provided a vision of how the holiday honoring her husband should be observed: "The holiday must be substantive as well as symbolic. It must be more than a day of celebration . . . Let this holiday be a day of reflection, a day of teaching nonviolent philosophy and strategy, a day of getting involved in nonviolent action for social and economic progress."

The list is divided into three aspects of daily school and classroom settings: displays, curriculum and discussions. Please click on the link and check out their list.

Recommended Picture Book: Flower Garden by Eve Bunting

Title: Flower Garden

Author: Eve Bunting

Illustrator: Kathryn Hewitt

Publisher: Hartcourt, Inc. 1994, HMH Books for Young Readers reprint edition, Mar 13, 2000

Age: 4 - 6

Topic: Gardening, Birthdays, Family, Stories in rhyme

Opening: 

Garden in a shopping cart,

Doesn't it look great?

Book Summary:

A young girl prepares a small garden as a surprise for her mother’s birthday.

Resources:

Learn about the flowers the young girl uses to make her garden: pansies, daisies, daffodils, geraniums and tulips.

Discuss various places to find gardens: in a yard, indoor garden, potted gardens, window sill gardens, and more.

Plant a colorful garden. Find some great ideas here. 

Find extension activities on Scholastic. More ideas here include nature walks and more.

Why I Like This Book:

Simple, easy to read and colorful. This book follows a young girl’s journey to making a colorful garden as a surprise for her mother’s birthday. Follow her as she buys the flowers, carries it home and transplant it into a pot. I was drawn to the fact that the family did not live in a single family home but in an apartment and the young girl still found a way to bring both beauty and nature to her home for her mother. It is so important for children to grow up surrounded by natural things even if they don’t have access to a backyard. Something like a garden box is a wonderful way to teach children how to care for plants and the environment.

Recommended Picture Book: Mouse and the Moon by M. Christina Butler

Title: Mouse and the Moon

Author: M. Christina Butler

Illustrator: Tina Macnaughton

Publisher: Good Books, 2012

Age: 4 - 6

Topic: friendship, making friends, actions under duress, sharing, the moon,

Opening: Little Harvest Mouse lived by himself in a field of grain. Every night the warm summer breezes rocked his cozy nest, and his friend the moon watched over him from the deep blue sky.

Book Summary: Before Little Harvest Mouse closes is eyes each night, he sings a lullaby to his very own moon. Then, one cloudy evening, the moon disappears. And Little Harvest Mouse discovers that he is not the only one looking for it…..

Resources:

Talk with children about friendship. Let them make a list of qualities of a good friend.

Name or make a list of their friends and discuss why they are friends.

Draw pictures of mouse and the moon. Use white glitter for the moon.

Why I Like This Book:

A simple and loving tale of true friendship and sharing. When Little Mouse loses his only friend, the moon, he goes searching for it. He finds other animals and they each say where the(ir) moon is but soon find the(ir) moon is missing as well. Soon, an argument ensues as the critters blame one another for losing the moon. It is not until they find shelter in a cave they begin to realize they all lost something very close to them. When the storm is over and the moon returns, they found out that they all share the same moon and that true friends never truly leave.

Losing a friend is hard on anyone, especially children. This book would be great for children who are shy and have a hard time making new friends, whether it’s because they are in a new neighborhood or school, or because they are slow to making friendships.

I loved the glittery moon featured throughout the story!

In My Mailbox: The Adventures of LuLu

Look what just arrived! Lulu is a series for older children between the ages of 8 - 12 years of age. 

Lulu and the Very Big Meanies and Lulu and the Monkey Marriage.

We are looking forward to reading all about Lulu's exciting adventures!