#ReadYourWorld Personalized Bilingual Book from @TimTimTomBooks

This Saturday, January 27, 2018, is Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Be sure to check out all the fabulous sponsors and activities surrounding the event in the links below the “I am a Multicultural Children’s Book Day Blogger” button.

The celebration is designed to highlight multicultural children’s books. Today we have a bilingual personalized book for children from TimTimTom Books. The title I received is an underwater adventure called Leah and the Dolphin, with “Leah” being any child’s name you choose. The story is by Saskia Reusens and illustrated by ‎ Katrien Van Schuylenbergh.

When families speak two languages or are trying to learn two languages, it can be hard to find appropriate picture books to read. These books fill that gap because they are available in any two of nine different languages:  Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Chinese (Simplified or Traditional). You can also personalize the gender, appearance/skin tone, and write your own dedication message. I chose English and Traditional Chinese for the book our family received.

The story is about the main character’s adventure underwater. When she goes to the big pool all by herself for the first time, the main character doesn’t know what to expect. What she finds in the water will delight imaginative youngsters.

The illustrations are bright, with lots of fun things to discover in each spread. The personalized main character is featured prominently, which will make the child feel like he or she is right in the middle of the action.

This video shows how the personalizing works:

There is a lot to like about these books. They are bound with a sturdy hardcover, so will likely last for years. We were pleased to see the stories are not merely translations, but are retold to sound authentic in both languages. They also begin with a letter to the child, engaging them from the start.

Because each book is personalized and must be printed on demand, the customer support is critical. Based on my experience, the process of picking out details I wanted for the book was easy and straightforward, and the customer service from TimTimTom books was outstanding.

If you are looking for a special bilingual book to share with a child, TimTimTom Books are the way to go. They would make excellent gifts for any special occasion.

Suggested activity:

Want to learn more about marine animals? Check out a related STEM post at Growing with Science.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day (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 BoweGokul! 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.

#ReadYourWorld: Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 Events and Free Stuff

Wow, I got back into blogging about children’s books at exactly the right time. There are so many exciting things going on. One of the biggest is Multicultural Children’s Book Day, which is scheduled for Friday January 27, 2017.

If you’re like me, you always want to hear about the free stuff first.

Free Resources for Teachers and Parents:

And don’t forget all the reviews of multicultural books which will be linked to the website on January 27.

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More information:

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 (1/27/17) is in its fourth 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.

Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day holiday, the MCBD Team is on a mission to change all of that.

Current Sponsors:  MCBD 2017 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board. Platinum Sponsors include ScholasticBarefoot Books and Broccoli. Other Medallion Level Sponsors include heavy-hitters like Author Carole P. RomanAudrey Press, Candlewick Press,  Fathers Incorporated, KidLitTVCapstone Young Readers, ChildsPlayUsa, Author Gayle SwiftWisdom Tales PressLee& Low BooksThe Pack-n-Go GirlsLive Oak MediaAuthor Charlotte Riggle, Chronicle Books and Pomelo Books

 

Author Sponsor include: Karen Leggett AbourayaVeronica AppletonSusan Bernardo, Kathleen BurkinshawDelores Connors, Maria DismondyD.G. DriverGeoff Griffin Savannah HendricksStephen HodgesCarmen Bernier-Grand,Vahid ImaniGwen Jackson,  Hena, Kahn, David Kelly, Mariana LlanosNatasha Moulton-LevyTeddy O’MalleyStacy McAnulty,  Cerece MurphyMiranda PaulAnnette PimentelGreg RansomSandra Richards, Elsa TakaokaGraciela Tiscareño-Sato,  Sarah Stevenson, Monica Mathis-Stowe SmartChoiceNation, Andrea Y. Wang

 

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

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Shines with Sparkalina

Have you heard the big news? It’s time for the second annual  Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature being held on Tuesday, January 27, 2015.

PicMonkey Collage

The co-creators of this event are Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom and Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book. They have done a wonderful job generating excitement and promoting the event.

Why multicultural books? They say:

Mission:

Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Mia and Valarie are on a mission to change all of that. Their mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these types of books into classrooms and libraries. Another goal of this exciting event is create a compilation of books and favorite reads that will provide not only a new reading list for the winter, but also a way to expose brilliant books to families, teachers, and libraries.

“MCCBD team hopes to spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of diversity in children’s literature. Our young readers need to see themselves within the pages of a book and experience other cultures, languages, traditions and religions within the pages of a book. We encourage readers, parents, teachers, caregivers and librarians to follow along…”

You may want to:

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After signing up to participate, I found out I would be receiving a brand new picture book from author Shana Bernabela to review. I feel so lucky.

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Sparkalina (Sparkalina Brights) (Volume 1) by Shana Bernabela and illustrated by Maythe Carpertino is a delightful little book with a big message:  It is okay to be different!

Sparklina Brights lives for glitter and sparkles. Her clothes are shiny, her pencils shimmer, even her breakfast bowl and spoon are sparkly. When Sparklina encounters the neighborhood bully, aptly named Tiger Rex, he puts down her look and says it is weird.  Sparkalina is deeply hurt, but her wise mother knows exactly how to help her appreciate her unique qualities.

Many readers are going to be able to relate to Sparkalina’s struggles with identity and self-esteem. In fact, in this interview author Shana Bernabela reveals she had similar issues when she was young. Sparkalina (Sparkalina Brights) (Volume 1) helps give victims of bullying some much-needed tools to feel more confident.

Activities to Accompany Sparkalina:

Wow, this book really begs to be accompanied by some sparkly crafts and activities to reinforce learning. Prepare to be bedazzled.

1. Dress up!

What better way to try on new identities and looks than a game of dress up?

Gather:

  • Scarves
  • Bright clothes
  • Wacky shoes
  • Costume jewelry
  • Hats
  • Tiaras

The fun outfits in the book are sure to be inspirations. Make it a party and have the “paparazzi” take a lot of pictures.

2. Design sparkly clothes

Gather:

  • Glitter glue (takes some time to dry)
  • Paper:  construction, poster, shiny wrapping paper, etc.
  • Glitter shakers
  • Glitter tape
  • Sparkly stickers, etc.
  • Scissors
  • Markers

Have the children draw and cut out clothes, either to stand alone or as outfits for paper dolls. Then decorate the outfits with all things sparkly.

spark-craft-1Let their imaginations run wild!

Extension:  The book mentions several items that could also be fun to decorate, such as:

  • Pencils
  • Plastic or paper bowls (for decorative purposes only)
  • Plastic spoons or forks (for decorative purposes only)

Series: Sparkalina Brights
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (December 31, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1505481937
ISBN-13: 978-1505481938

Disclosure: Book provided by the author 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.

 

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 Let’s not forget the Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature Sponsors.

2015 Sponsors include:

Platinum Sponsors: Wisdom Tales Press, Daybreak Press Global Bookshop, Gold SponsorsSatya House,  MulticulturalKids.com,   Author Stephen Hodges and the Magic Poof, Silver Sponsors: Junior Library GuildCapstone 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.

CoHosts: The co-creaters have nine amazing Co-Hosts, as well. You can view them here.

Observing Multicultural Children’s Book Day with Lin Yi’s Lantern

Since I decided to make this a year of multicultural reading, it was thrilling to find out about Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature coming up on January 27, 2014.

Pinterest collage

The co-creators of this event are Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom and Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book/Audrey Press. They have done a wonderful job generating excitement and promoting the event. The two women have gained the support of several groups interested in creating diversity in children’s literature, including the sponsors  Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books Chronicle Books, and Susan Daniel Fayad: Author of  My Grandfather’s Masbaha.

After agreeing to participate, I found out I would be receiving a picture book from Barefoot Books World Cultures collection to review (they have been publishing multicultural children’s books for over 20 years!) I couldn’t wait to find out which one. Imagine my pleasure when I found out it was about a Chinese boy getting ready for a festival. What a perfect accompaniment to the books about the Chinese New Year already featured this week! The book:

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Lin-Yis-Lantern

Lin Yi’s Lantern by Brenda Williams and illustrated by Benjamin Lacombe is a fictional picture book about a young Chinese boy who is helping his family get ready for the autumn Moon Festival.

The first thing you notice when you open the book is the delicate gouache illustrations by Benjamin Lacombe. If you have never seen his work, try his website which is currently featuring a book trailer for his mind-blowing Madame Butterfly (also available at YouTube.)

Although the art catches you eye, what draws you in is Brenda Williams’ soft, yet compelling text. The story starts with Lin Yi’s mother reciting a list of items Lin Yi needs to buy at the market for the Moon Festival. Lin Yi repeats the list several times as he tries to navigate the perils of the market. He has to chose between his duties and his desire to have a red rabbit lantern for the Moon Festival. Should he buy the lantern, even though it would mean not buying one of the items on his mother’s list? If he doesn’t, will the lantern be gone?

The back matter includes “The Legend of the Moon Fairy,” which ties in with the story, instructions for making a Chinese lantern out of paper (see below) and a discussion of “Market Life in China.” All are excellent ways to extend and add depth to the story.

Lin Yi’s Lantern is a beautiful book with an important message. It is one to relish again and again, and would be a lovely addition to any library.

Related Activities:

Barefoot Books has a free downloadable instructions for the activity to make a paper lantern on its Arts and Crafts Activity page for kids (scroll down)

Reading is Fundamental has several free downloadable educator and activity guides to accompany this book, as well.

Red Ted Art has more instructions for making paper lanterns and for attaching small ones to fairy lights.

Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (September 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1846867932
ISBN-13: 978-1846867934

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Why should we read and promote multicultural books? The mission statement for the event explains:

Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Mia and Valarie are on a mission to change all of that. Their mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these types of books into classrooms and libraries. Another goal of this exciting event is create a compilation of books and favorite reads that will provide not only a new reading list for the winter, but also a way to expose brilliant books to families, teachers, and libraries.

_______________________________________________

And even more:

On January 27, 2014 Barefoot Books will be hosting a giveaway on their Facebook page.

Bloggers participating in Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature are shown below. Most will be posting this week and all the posts will be linked up to the book day site on Monday.

2GirlsLostInaBook · 365 Days of Motherhood · A Bilingual Baby · A Simple Life, Really? · Africa to America · After School Smarty Pants · All Done Monkey · Andi’s Kids Books · Anita Brown Bag  · Austin Gilkeson · Barbara Ann Mojica ·  Books My Kids Read · Bottom Shelf Books · Cats Eat Dogs · Chasing The Donkey · Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac · Children’s Books Heal · Church o Books · CitizenBeta · Crafty Moms Share · Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes · Early Words · Flowering Minds · Franticmommy · Gathering Books · GEO Librarian · Gladys Barbieri · Going in Circles · Growing Book by Book · iGame Mom · I’m Not The Nanny · InCulture Parent · Itsy Bitsy Mom ·Just Children’s Books– Kid World Citizen · Kristi’s Book Nook · Mama Lady Books · Mama Smiles · Mission Read · Mother Daughter Book Reviews · Mrs AOk · MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter · Ms. Yingling Reads · Multicultural Kids Blog · One Sweet World · Open Wide The World · P is for Preschooler · Rapenzel Dreams · School4Boys · Sharon the Librarian · Spanish Playground · Sprout’s Bookshelf · Squishable Baby · Stanley and Katrina · Teach Mama · The Art of Home Education · The Brain Lair · The Educators’ Spin On It · The Family-Ship Experience · The Yellow Door Paperie · This Kid Reviews Books  · Trishap’s Books · Unconventional Librarian · Vicki Arnold · We3Three · World for Learning