Hacking the Code - Gea Meijering

#ReadYourWorld

I love this book SO MUCH. It’s an absolute celebration of diversity in learning, an eye-opening read, and a motivational push for us all to refuse to settle for one system that is meant to work for all. Because, as most of us know, one system cannot work for everyone, not equally anyway.

Hacking the Code: The Ziggety Zaggety Road of a D-Kid, written by Gea Meijering and illustrated by Mads Johan Øgaard, was given to me in return for an honest review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. You can find out more information on this awesome celebration of multicultural children’s books right below my review.

Kees is in 5th grade, and is an all-around happy and fun-loving kid who excels in some areas at school, but struggles in others. He was diagnosed with dyslexia a few years before, and does have extra help when it comes to reading and writing, but still, he feels a lot of anxiety when he has to read or write in class. I was a very shy kid and really did not like reading aloud in school, so I can only imagine how Kees felt, with that added stress of trying to decipher each word rapidly, out loud. But Kees is an excellent mathematician, can create all types of plans and projects, and has even devised a whole concept on how our brains may be wired differently than each other - complete with a questionnaire to fill out to determine whether you are Apple or Android! So why does he constantly feel anxious about the difficulties that he faces with deciphering words? Why is he still being made to follow the same methods other kids seem to find easy when it’s obviously not working for him?

Kees and his best friend like to play really funny pranks, and the principal tends to dole out consequences that they enjoy (like cleaning up the playground). But one day he asks that they write an essay, and this causes quite a bit of distress for Kees… I won’t say any more because I don’t want to spoil this wonderful story. All I can say is read it, because Kees has a lot more insight than the adults around him AND he has some great solutions to offer too!

What I love most about this book is how fun it is to read, but also how insightful it is. I have three children, all of whom have different ways of learning, and one who has an anxiety disorder. She read Hacking the Code after I had finished it, and absolutely loved it too, and really related to how Kees feels when he has to read or write off the bat in front of others. But I think the most important message in this book is that even though we have come along way with testing for learning disabilities and providing remedial classes that may help, we still need to do a lot better about actually listening to people with these kinds of disabilities, and coming up with solutions that may not fit in a typical class setting.

(Side note: my daughter who read the book is 8 and sometimes struggles with chapter books due to her anxiety: when she sees a wall of text it makes her nervous. She did not have that problem with this book at all because the lay-out is super accessible. The font is a great size, and the text is interspersed with really fun illustrations. This book also exists as an audiobook for those who prefer to listen to text - I cannot praise the author enough for doing everything they can to make this book accessible to all!).

And in addition to everything I have mentioned above: this book is so relatable! I think that there are so many children who will relate to Kees’ experiences, as well as those his friends and classmates experience. Kees teaches us to be kind, to listen, and to also look at everything in different ways, because there really are many sides to everything!

#hackingthecode

There is a free lesson plan and activity guide available for Hacking the Code right HERE.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2023 (1/26/22) is in its 10th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.

Ten years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

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, Brunella Costagliola Bronze Sponsor

Poster Artist:  Lisa Wee

Classroom Kit Poster: Led Bradshaw

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, Shanequa Waison-Rattray, Susan S. El Yazgi, Shirim Shamsi

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 for the MCBD Read Your World Virtual Party

Join us on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at 9 pm EST for the 10th annual Multicultural Children's Book Day Read Your World Virtual Party!

This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.

We will be giving away a 10-Book Bundle during the virtual party plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. **

Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, and connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. We look forward to seeing you all on January 26, 2023, at our virtual party!

Mr Grizley's Class Series - Bryan Patrick Avery

#ReadYourWorld

I can’t tell you how important it is for me for my children to feel like they identify with characters in a book, that they SEE themselves in a character, whether it be via the words or the illustrations, or both together. When I handed the four books in the Mr Grizley’s Class series to my daughters, the first things I heard them say were “Cecelia looks like me!!” and “Emily looks like me!!!!”. 

This series, written by Bryan Patrick Avery, illustrated by Arief Putra, and published by Capstone, was given to me in return for an honest review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. You can find out more information on this awesome celebration of multicultural children’s books right below my review.

My kids are now 7, 6, and 4, and while my 7 and 6 year olds both read pretty well, they still love me to read to them. The books in Mr Grizley’s Class series are perfect for both quiet reading time and story time together. At the end of each book there is a fun activity to do alone or with others, a glossary with some of the harder words, and questions to help kids discuss what they have just read, and find ways to talk about how the story relates to their own lives. These questions are great conversation starters as the books bring up important themes of inclusivity, friendship, helping others, anxiety, working together as a team and so on. 

Each book starts with a class photo page, with Mr Grizley and all of his students. Mr Grizley’s class is as diverse as my children’s classes, and reflects real life - even the names are researched correctly. And it doesn’t stop there, Bryan Patrick Avery has also made sure to include disability inclusion. Mr Grizley’s class represents the real world that our children live in, and this is just so important - any child between the ages 4-8 will be able to recognize something about themselves in these books. 

Mr Grizley is a patient and kind teacher who lovingly guides his students, helping them to learn, accept, grow, and discover every day. In Shaw’s Solo, Shaw’s friends help him find ways to combat his anxiety. In Mordecai’s Magic, new boy Mordecai shows how his unique talent can bring a whole school together. In Emily’s Big Shot, Emily learns with the help of her friends that if she relaxes and practices she can play a sport that she thought she couldn’t. And finally, in Cecelia’s Fundraiser, Cecelia and her classmates work together to figure out how they can save the school fundraiser. 

I can’t recommend these books enough - they are sweet, educational, fun, and every single child will relate to something in them. I would love to see more of Mr Grizley and his class and see what else they can teach us! 

(We had loads of fun doing the activities at the back of each book - some great bonding ideas for families and classrooms in there!). 

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022 (1/28/22) is in its 9th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.

MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

MCBD 2022 is honored to be 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 honored to be 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 us on Friday, Jan 29, 2021, at 9 pm EST for the 8th annual Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party! Be sure and follow MCBD and Make A Way Media on Twitter!

This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.

We 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, connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. See you all very soon on Twitter!

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Besos de sol, abrazos de luna - Susan Schaefer Bernardo

#ReadYourWorld

Even before Covid we didn’t see our extended family very often. My children were born here in the US, but I was born in the UK, and grew up in France, and their father was born and raised in Mexico. Most of our extended families reside in Europe and Mexico, and trips abroad are not really financially feasible for most of us. So we have to come up with ways to ensure that our children maintain ties to our families, and to the cultures that we grew up in. Language and traditions are important parts of maintaining those ties, but so are ways to make our huge world seem smaller, which is exactly what Sun Kisses Moon Hugs does!

Written by Susan Schaefer Bernardo and illustrated by Courtenay Fletcher, Sun Kisses Moon Hugs/ Besos de sol, abrazos de luna is an English/Spanish bilingual picture book showing our children that however far apart we may be, our love for each other will never waver. Whenever we feel sad or lonely we can look up at the moon and know that those that we love are looking at the same moon. Whenever we feel upset or afraid we can look at the sun, and feel her warm rays surrounding us, and we can send those rays all over the world to those we love.

I loved this book, and so did my kids. It’s a great bedtime story book, especially for kids who have separation anxiety, and who have trouble falling asleep by themselves. 

The illustrations are beautiful and feature a diverse collection of children, which is super important for us as a family, and important for all readers in general. Every child should be able to identify themselves in a book. I seriously just love the message in this book: we all live together in this world, and share our love via the sun that always shines above us no matter where we are, and via the moon that never fails to glow over us at night all at night.The authors have made some awesome activities available on their website that can be done in accompaniment with the book, and have also provided a special discount code for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 - use MCBD20 at checkout when you purchase this, or any other of their books.

I was generously gifted this book in exchange for an honest review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021. For more information on this awesome event, please see below!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators. Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Prgamaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com) Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media Gold Sponsors: Barefoot Books, Candlewick Press, Capstone, Hoopoe Books, KidLitTV, Peachtree Publishing Company Inc. Silver Sponsors: Charlotte Riggle, Connecticut Association of School Librarians, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Pack-N-Go Girls Bronze Sponsors: Agatha Rodi and AMELIE is IMPRESSED!, Barnes Brothers Books, Create and Educate Solutions, LLC, Dreambuilt Books, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin Real Estate, Snowflake Stories, Star Bright Books, TimTimTom Bilingual Personalized Books, Author Vivian Kirkfield, Wisdom Tales Press, My Well Read Child  

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Poster Artist: Nat Iwata Authors: Author Afsaneh Moradian, Author Alva Sachs & Three Wishes Publishing Company, Author Angeliki Stamatopoulou-Pedersen, Author Anna Olswanger, Author Casey Bell , Author Claudine Norden, Author Debbie Dadey, Author Diana Huang & Intrepids, Author Eugenia Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Green Kids Club, Author Gwen Jackson, Author Janet Balletta, Author Josh Funk, Author Julia Inserro, Karter Johnson & Popcorn and Books, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, Author Keila Dawson, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Author Mia Wenjen, Michael Genhart, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Natalie Murray, Natalie McDonald-Perkins, Author Natasha Yim, Author Phe Lang and Me On The Page Publishing, Sandra Elaine Scott, Author Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, Author Theresa Mackiewicz, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Author Toshia Stelivan, Valerie Williams-Sanchez & The Cocoa Kids Collection Books©, Author Vanessa Womack, MBA, Author Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2021 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 Gallery of Our Free Posters FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

Join us on Friday, Jan 29, 2021, at 9 pm EST for the 8th 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. We 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, connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. See you all very soon on Twitter! Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Camila the Star - Alicia Salazar

#ReadYourWorld

Two of my kids are currently in those stages of learning to read/moving into reading short chapter books and we were so excited to read about Camila’s adventures! My kids are Mexican-British-American and we speak three languages at home (although our main constant is English). So they have been brought up with a mix of languages and traditions, and it is really important for us that they are able to find themselves represented in the books they read and the shows they watch. The Camila the Star series by Alicia Salazar basically fits that bill perfectly for us! 

Camila is a Mexican American 7 year old who loves to set challenges for herself, and with the help of family she makes her way to becoming a star in many different ways. We were generously gifted Camila the Baking Star and Camila the Record-Breaking Star by Capstone Books in exchange for an honest review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day and these books are now on regular rotation during storytime (and I keep finding them under one of my daughter’s pillows, which means she has been reading them after lights out!)

There are many things that I really, really loved in this series! Camila is a feisty, funny, smart, and headstrong little girl who doesn’t give up. She has great ideas, and doesn’t hesitate to enlist family members for help and advice. And while the books are written in English, Spanish words are peppered through-out the narrative, and I honestly felt like the author lived with us and heard how we all talk. I think this is something that multilingual families all do, and it was so natural for us all to read the books. (There is a little dictionary at the beginning of each book with the English translation for each Spanish word). There is also this one moment in one of the books that you find out that Camila’s dad is actually her stepfather, and this struck a (happy) chord with me for personal reasons - all families are different and all families should feel represented. All of these reasons are why it’s so important to publish and read #OwnVoices authors: kids will see themselves, and kids will learn about other families, it’s a complete win for everyone.

The illustrations by Thais Damaião fit the stories perfectly: Camila has these awesome facial expressions that really convey her personality AND the images are super representative of a Mexican American family. (And Camila looks like one of my daughters so that is also an added plus). 

I would recommend this series for kids in K to Grade 2, maybe even earlier than K if they enjoy story time as there are enough images to keep their attention, and the stories aren’t too long. 

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators. Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Prgamaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com) Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media Gold Sponsors: Barefoot Books, Candlewick Press, Capstone, Hoopoe Books, KidLitTV, Peachtree Publishing Company Inc. Silver Sponsors: Charlotte Riggle, Connecticut Association of School Librarians, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Pack-N-Go Girls Bronze Sponsors: Agatha Rodi and AMELIE is IMPRESSED!, Barnes Brothers Books, Create and Educate Solutions, LLC, Dreambuilt Books, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin Real Estate, Snowflake Stories, Star Bright Books, TimTimTom Bilingual Personalized Books, Author Vivian Kirkfield, Wisdom Tales Press, My Well Read Child  

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Poster Artist: Nat Iwata Authors: Author Afsaneh Moradian, Author Alva Sachs & Three Wishes Publishing Company, Author Angeliki Stamatopoulou-Pedersen, Author Anna Olswanger, Author Casey Bell , Author Claudine Norden, Author Debbie Dadey, Author Diana Huang & Intrepids, Author Eugenia Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Green Kids Club, Author Gwen Jackson, Author Janet Balletta, Author Josh Funk, Author Julia Inserro, Karter Johnson & Popcorn and Books, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, Author Keila Dawson, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Author Mia Wenjen, Michael Genhart, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Natalie Murray, Natalie McDonald-Perkins, Author Natasha Yim, Author Phe Lang and Me On The Page Publishing, Sandra Elaine Scott, Author Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, Author Theresa Mackiewicz, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Author Toshia Stelivan, Valerie Williams-Sanchez & The Cocoa Kids Collection Books©, Author Vanessa Womack, MBA, Author Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2021 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 Gallery of Our Free Posters FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

Join us on Friday, Jan 29, 2021, at 9 pm EST for the 8th 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. We 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, connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. See you all very soon on Twitter! Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Bilingual Personalized Books by TimTimTom - Multicultural Children's Book Day 2020

I’m so excited to review this book for Multicultural Children’s Book Day! We are a multilingual, multicultural, mixed race family living in the US, and it is very important for me to find books that not only engage my children, but where they can also find themselves represented. I was gifted with a Bilingual Personalized Book by the wonderful staff at TimTimTom for MCBD2020, and to my delight was able to completely customize it! The process is super easy and streamlined: you pick a story, and decide whether you would like it to be in one language or two. There are currently 10 languages available, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, *Spanish, and Chinese (Simplified or Traditional), and you can choose any two. You then need to add the child’s name, and are then prompted to personalize the character’s appearance. You can also add a personal message to appear at the front of the book. It all takes about 5 minutes, and you are all set. *(The Spanish is targeted towards Spain, however, Gaby at TimTimTom let me know that they aim to make the language as universal as possible so that all Spanish speakers around the world will enjoy the content).

I decided to create a book for my youngest child, Ludovic, who is 2 years old. I speak fluent English and French, Ludo’s father speaks fluent Spanish and English, but all of our children speak English as their main language. We have been introducing both Spanish and French to them so that they find it easy to navigate between them all, and also because we would like them to communicate with family in Mexico who only speak Spanish. This is why I love bilingual books!! 

I chose a story about football/soccer because we all love to watch it together, and was delighted by how inclusive the appearance selection is! My kids are half indigenous Mexican, half English/Scottish, and the illustration in the book looks just like Ludovic! The book itself also includes an inclusive selection of characters who all play together, which makes the book super representative of my kids, and also their school. The only area where I had a little trouble was actually choosing the languages! English and Spanish? English and French? French and Spanish?! In the end I went with English and French as it’s less easy for me to get bilingual books in French here, which is why we have more Spanish ones at home. 

The book took a couple of weeks to arrive, and it’s absolutely gorgeous! Great quality hardback, with lovely illustrations by Katrien Van Schuylenbergh. The story, written by Saskia Reusens, is fun to read, and the text is side by side in both languages, so it is easy to compare both sides and/or read one or the other without interrupting the flow. We have read it several times together (my three kids and I), and while Ludovic is a little too young to sit through the entire book, he certainly enjoys hearing his name and seeing his face in the book! My girls who are 5 and 4 thoroughly enjoy reading it with me and have already asked me to order one each for them too. There are currently 3 stories to choose from, and there will be more added over time. My daughters really want to read the Swan Lake one, which looks really cute.  

I personally think that everyone should own at least a few bilingual books, whether your family is multilingual or not, as children absorb languages so easily. It’s also great practice for our adult brains. I think these personalized books are a great deal, and perfect for any occasion. I can see myself creating one as a special gift for my sister’s stepdaughter who is currently learning English.

Thanks so much to Gaby and the team at TimTimTom for this book! And for all of the staff, sponsors, and participants of MCBD2020!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.  

Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020  is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

Super Platinum

Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings, 

Platinum

Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls, 

Gold

Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,

Silver

 Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,

Bronze

Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books,  TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books,  Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales

Author Sponsor Link Cloud

Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove,  Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson  & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series  Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads , Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky , Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

• Free Multicultural Books for Teachers 

• Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz

• Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators

• Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit

TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Jupiter Elementary Activity Book: Space and Shapes - Book Review - MCBD2018

We are so excited to participate in our first Multicultural Children's Book Day! We were chosen to review the Jupiter Elementary Activity Book by Dani Dixon and it was an all-around favorite here, and not only for the kids. It is a great activity book that manages to cover a huge amount of important ground: multi-ethnicities, different cultures and heritages, equality, togetherness, and the sense that every kid can aspire to be whoever and whatever they want to be. I mean who has never dreamed of being an astronaut at some point in their lives? I love that the book is based on a school on one of Jupiter’s moons.

A great collection of activities are available in the book: coloring (the characters as well as different maps of the world), drawing, different puzzles and shapes, and Sudoko games. While probably aimed at kids 6+ my younger kids enjoyed doing the different activities with me, and there really is no age to young to learn about other cultures.

While we were coloring in the picture of Adi my three year old told me that Adi had a “dot on her face” which gave me a great opportunity to explain the bindi to her and why some women wear one. For that reason I really love that all of the characters are in traditional dress, have quite traditional names, and that the book has flags to color in. So many natural opportunities to learn about different cultures! At the same time you also find them dressed as astronauts and some of the games are based on our solar system and learning about it. Its a pretty brilliant concept in my opinion!

The activity book is based on the characters of Dani Dixon’s Jupiter Elementary and is published by Tumble Creek Press. 
 

Details about Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018 #MCBD2018

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 (1/27/18) is in its 5th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.  

Current Sponsors:  MCBD 2018 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board.

2018 MCBD Medallion Sponsors

HONORARY: Children’s Book Council, Junior Library Guild

PLATINUM:Scholastic Book Clubs

GOLD:Audrey Press, Candlewick Press, Loving Lion Books, Second Story Press, Star Bright Books, Worldwide Buddies

SILVER:Capstone Publishing, Author Charlotte Riggle, Child’s Play USA, KidLit TV, Pack-n-Go Girls, Plum Street Press

BRONZE: Barefoot Books, Carole P. Roman, Charlesbridge Publishing, Dr. Crystal Bowe, Gokul! World, Green Kids Club, Gwen Jackson, Jacqueline Woodson, Juan J. Guerra, Language Lizard, Lee & Low Books, RhymeTime Storybooks, Sanya Whittaker Gragg, TimTimTom Books, WaterBrook & Multnomah, Wisdom Tales Press

2018 Author Sponsors

Honorary Author Sponsors: Author/Illustrator Aram Kim and Author/Illustrator Juana Medina Author Janet Balletta, Author Susan Bernardo,  Author Carmen Bernier-Grand, Author Tasheba Berry-McLaren and Space2Launch, Bollywood Groove Books, Author Anne Broyles,  Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Eugenia Chu, Author Lesa Cline-Ransome, Author Medeia Cohan and Shade 7 Publishing, Desi Babies, Author Dani Dixon and Tumble Creek Press, Author Judy Dodge Cummings, Author D.G. Driver, Author Nicole Fenner and Sister Girl Publishing, Debbi Michiko Florence, Author Josh Funk, Author Maria Gianferrari, Author Daphnie Glenn, Globe Smart Kids, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Author Quentin Holmes, Author Esther Iverem, Jennifer Joseph: Alphabet Oddities, Author Kizzie Jones, Author Faith L Justice , Author P.J. LaRue and MysticPrincesses.com, Author Karen Leggett Abouraya, Author Sylvia Liu, Author Sherri Maret, Author Melissa Martin Ph.D., Author Lesli Mitchell, Pinky Mukhi and We Are One, Author Miranda Paul, Author Carlotta Penn, Real Dads Read, Greg Ransom, Author Sandra L. Richards, RealMVPKids Author Andrea Scott, Alva Sachs and Three Wishes Publishing, Shelly Bean the Sports Queen,  Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Gayle H. Swift Author Elsa Takaoka, Author Christine Taylor-Butler, Nicholette Thomas and  MFL Publishing  Author Andrea Y. Wang, Author Jane Whittingham  Author Natasha Yim

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Scholastic Book Clubs: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be held 1/27/18 at 9:00pm.

Join the conversation and win one of 12-5 book bundles and one Grand Prize Book Bundle (12 books) that will be given away at the party! http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/twitter-party-great-conversations-fun-prizes-chance-readyourworld-1-27-18/

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teacher-classroom-empathy-kit/

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.