Each year for Multicultural Children's Book Day (MCBD), I sign-up to be a book reviewer, reading and providing my feedback about a new title, chosen for me by the event organizers. It is an activity I enjoy and one to which I look forward as it allows me to remain deeply connected to the genre and to build my personal knowledge of children’s books and reading trends. So much so, that my reviewer activities now extend beyond this one-day reading holiday. I now also write reviews for small, independent publishers of children's books and am an Author Sponsor for MCBD.
This year, 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.
Since 2015 when I wrote my first review, I have been keenly conscious of the shifts and stagnation in the type of content available for our youngest readers. The effects of which I first wrote about in The Cocoa Kids Collection© Thesis: “Revaluing Children of Color’s Lives Through Children’s Literature.” That’s why I felt moved to vocalize an observation I have made about the cross-section of books I have been asked to review this season. There have been three: Katie Comma, by B.B. Swann, illustrated by Maja Anderson; Swashbarklers of the Sea by author, illustrator Cynthia Kremsner; and the single title for MCBD, The Escape of Robert Smalls: A Daring Voyage Out of Slavery, by Jehan Jones-Radgowski, and illustrated by Poppy Kang.
Each of these books was an enjoyable read that I feel will contribute to wide reading options available to emergent readers. They are each an achievement of which their author should be proud. Also, the composite of titles and themes is worth note inasmuch as they reflect the unrelenting reality of kids’ books, their content, and characters. That is: fantasy characters dominate, as in Katie; animals too often replace humans, as in Swashbarklers, and in diversity narratives, stories about Black Americans are disproportionately grounded and framed in slavery. Granted, I could as easily have received a composite of books that reflected a different reality. However, in the random sample that chose me, the titles and content I receive reflect an unchanging truth that statistics uphold. It’s also why I continue to do my part to raise awareness and effect change through my study of literacy and writing of books and prose.
It is my hope that soon we will begin to see equal levels of representation in our society, and that new avenues for original expression will continue to grow and transform what Nancy Larrick (1965) once called "the all-white world" of children's books. Fresh narratives will feature stories by and about blacks and people of color living full, rich lives without being substituted by fantasy characters or human-like animals. Stories will be grounded in contemporary pop-culture as well as in an imagined future. This, I feel, is how we as a reading community and national culture will grow. That's why it is my great pleasure to feature and support new voices. A look at the authors in the two books Valerie's Vignettes features in this post shows that their lives are far from ordinary.
Jones-Radgowski’s life in foreign service echos a love of adventure that her book about legendary Robert Smalls describes. And the story and characters in Moore-Fields' Pit Fighters are based on the events and people in his life. It’s also why I have decided to include in this edition and those to come, Question & Answer (Q&A) author interviews of the people behind the books. These up-and-coming authors- of-color work touch the pulse of trends in the writing community. So, I invite you to check out these two, new works. Moreover, be sure to come back next month to meet another author and to read another insightful Q&A.
Enjoy,
Valerie
This year, 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.
Since 2015 when I wrote my first review, I have been keenly conscious of the shifts and stagnation in the type of content available for our youngest readers. The effects of which I first wrote about in The Cocoa Kids Collection© Thesis: “Revaluing Children of Color’s Lives Through Children’s Literature.” That’s why I felt moved to vocalize an observation I have made about the cross-section of books I have been asked to review this season. There have been three: Katie Comma, by B.B. Swann, illustrated by Maja Anderson; Swashbarklers of the Sea by author, illustrator Cynthia Kremsner; and the single title for MCBD, The Escape of Robert Smalls: A Daring Voyage Out of Slavery, by Jehan Jones-Radgowski, and illustrated by Poppy Kang.
Each of these books was an enjoyable read that I feel will contribute to wide reading options available to emergent readers. They are each an achievement of which their author should be proud. Also, the composite of titles and themes is worth note inasmuch as they reflect the unrelenting reality of kids’ books, their content, and characters. That is: fantasy characters dominate, as in Katie; animals too often replace humans, as in Swashbarklers, and in diversity narratives, stories about Black Americans are disproportionately grounded and framed in slavery. Granted, I could as easily have received a composite of books that reflected a different reality. However, in the random sample that chose me, the titles and content I receive reflect an unchanging truth that statistics uphold. It’s also why I continue to do my part to raise awareness and effect change through my study of literacy and writing of books and prose.
It is my hope that soon we will begin to see equal levels of representation in our society, and that new avenues for original expression will continue to grow and transform what Nancy Larrick (1965) once called "the all-white world" of children's books. Fresh narratives will feature stories by and about blacks and people of color living full, rich lives without being substituted by fantasy characters or human-like animals. Stories will be grounded in contemporary pop-culture as well as in an imagined future. This, I feel, is how we as a reading community and national culture will grow. That's why it is my great pleasure to feature and support new voices. A look at the authors in the two books Valerie's Vignettes features in this post shows that their lives are far from ordinary.
Jones-Radgowski’s life in foreign service echos a love of adventure that her book about legendary Robert Smalls describes. And the story and characters in Moore-Fields' Pit Fighters are based on the events and people in his life. It’s also why I have decided to include in this edition and those to come, Question & Answer (Q&A) author interviews of the people behind the books. These up-and-coming authors- of-color work touch the pulse of trends in the writing community. So, I invite you to check out these two, new works. Moreover, be sure to come back next month to meet another author and to read another insightful Q&A.
Enjoy,
Valerie
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MCBD 2020 is honored to have Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, and the following sponsors on board.
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Author Sponsors: 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,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. 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 PressSilver Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for BreatheBronze 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 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 {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews
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