Finding a great children's book is like unwrapping a perfect sweet.
Have you seen this delightful picture book: The Runaway Pea by Kjartan Poskitt and illustrated Alex Willmore, published by Simon and Schuster.
At the low point of the story, a moment when all looks lost, Poskitt comes up with the most heartwarming solution.
The rhyme is wonderful, too.
What do you think?
For Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022 (see below post for details) we are featuring Conoce a las sirenas: Hola, soy Sofía (Spanish Edition) by Lois Petren.
Sofía is a Latina mermaid, one of the Five Enchanted Mermaids. She adores the color red, has a dolphin as a best friend, and loves to tell the truth!
Once we are introduced to Sofía, she acts as the narrator for the rest of the book, which is about helping children learn the importance of honesty.
Over the following pages, different situations unfold where children (the delightful illustrations depict human children, not mermaids) are tempted to lie. Sofía the mermaid points out two outcomes, happy and unhappy — or in Spanish, felices e infelices – that are possible results of each of the situations. The young readers learn that no matter what the motivation, lying is not the best choice.
Conoce a las sirenas: Hola, soy Sofía is ideal for educators who want to start a discussion about the importance of telling the truth.
Note: There are two editions of this book, one written entirely in English and the other in Spanish. As part of the Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022 festivities, author Lois Petren gifted us an electronic copy of the Spanish edition of the book.
Sofía loves the color red. Look in the illustrations and/or gather objects or toys that are red (rojo). Discuss the Spanish words for them.
Examples:
On the book cover Sofía has a rosa roja (red rose) in her hair and a red fan (abanico rojo) in her hand.
Extension: Explore objects of other colors and pair them with the Spanish names.
Reading age : Baby – 12 years
Publisher : Lois Petren (October 10, 2020)
ISBN-10 : 195269406X
ISBN-13 : 978-1952694066
Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you go to Amazon by clicking the linked title or book cover and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Proceeds will be used to help defray the costs of developing and maintaining this website.
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.
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
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!
Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents
FREE 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 Teacher Classroom Raising Awareness on Systemic Racism in America Classroom Kit
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.
We just couldn’t contain our excitement for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022 (see details below the review), so today we are featuring a lovely, timely picture book Sugar in Milk* by Thrity Umrigar and illustrated by Khoa Le.
Living with her uncle and aunt in a new country, a young immigrant girl is lonely. She joins her aunt in a walk through a local park. Knowing her niece misses her previous home and is struggling, the girl’s aunt tells her a story about another group of people who also had to move to a new place, but long ago. The story helps the girl accept her new circumstances.
In her story — a folktale from India — a group of refugees were forced from their home and traveled to a different country. They wanted to stay, but the local king didn’t want them. Because the two groups did not speak the same language, the king filled a glass with milk, his way of saying that the country was full up with people and no more would fit. The leader of the refugees had another idea. He added a pinch of sugar to the glass of milk. He showed his people could become part of the greater whole. The king relented and welcomed the newcomers.
Having heard this tale long ago from a friend, I had thought it would make a wonderful children’s book. Thrity Umrigar and Khoa Le made it an award-winning reality:
An ALSC Notable Children’s Book of 2021
A Kirkus Best Books of 2020
A School Library Journal Best Books of 2020
Winner of the 2021 Ohioana Book Award
Sugar in Milk is a timeless story that will help children who are moving to a new place to adjust, regardless of the circumstances. It is also a makes a memorable case for acceptance in a clever way. Highly recommended!
Make a sweet Indian drink to celebrate the book.
Sweet Lassi (Traditional)
Blend all the ingredients in a blender at high speed till frothy. Optional: add 2-3 Tbsp. fruit prior to blending. Pour into a glass and add a dollop of fresh yogurt on top (optional).
(*Amazon affiliate link)
Reading age : 4 – 8 years
Publisher : Running Press Kids (October 6, 2020)
ISBN-10 : 0762495197
ISBN-13 : 978-0762495191
Disclosures: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you go to Amazon by clicking the linked title or book cover and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Proceeds will be used to help defray the costs of developing and maintaining this website. The book was provided by my local library.
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.
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
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!
Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents
FREE 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 Teacher Classroom Raising Awareness on Systemic Racism in America Classroom Kit
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.
Today we’re highlighting a new picture book that came out this week, Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever by Ruth Spiro and illustrated by Holly Hatam.
Ruth Spiro is the author of the popular Baby Loves Science series (previous post) for toddlers and preschoolers. Now she’s working on picture books for early elementary ages that celebrate problem solving and making things.
Maxine and Leo have a problem. Their beautiful garden is being eaten by all sorts of creatures. When they build a contraption to protect their plants, it goes awry and their friendship is on the rocks. Can they restore their friendship and solve the problem together?
Holly Hatam’s intricate illustrations are so creative. There are many interesting pieces to discover and discuss, like Maxine’s colorful colander hat.
Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever will be a huge hit with young makers and budding engineers. Explore a copy today!
After reading the book, children may be interested in growing a garden.
Planning a children’s garden can be done any time of year, but right now is a great time to get started. By giving your child the freedom to design his or her own space, a budget to work with and a few simple tools, you can have a project that builds a lifetime of skills and memories.
Types of Gardens
First help your child decide on the type of garden he or she would like to plant. Does your child like vegetables? Then a kitchen garden would be perfect. Other types of gardens might be flower gardens or herb gardens. Theme gardens are also popular, like a pollinator garden, pizza garden, or rainbow garden.
Resources
Your local Cooperative Extension office is likely to have information about gardening with children. For example, the University of Illinois Extension has a Planning My Garden area for kids with information on how to grow different plants. PBS has information/ideas about gardening with children and KidsGardening.org has many resources.
If you want to be part of an organization, take a look at the Cooperative Extension’s Junior Master Gardener Program.
Seed companies can also be a cool resource. Many of these websites have a wealth of information about gardening in addition to having plants and seeds for sale (not affiliated with any of these sites).
For more information, see our growing list of books for gardening with children at Science Books for Kids.
Reading age : 4 – 8 years
Publisher : Dial Books (February 16, 2021)
ISBN-10 : 0399186301
ISBN-13 : 978-0399186301
Disclosure: The book was donated electronically for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.
