Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. And today is a very special Friday because it’s also Multicultural Children Book Day. I’ve been a sponsor for several years because I love the mission of this nonprofit initiative: to lift up diverse books.

This year I was thrilled to review two books from Inhabit Education Books. Here’s a little bit about the publisher.

Inhabit Education Books is a Nunavut-based educational publishing company with a mandate to provide educators and parents with educational resources that are infused with authentic Northern perspectives, ways of life, and imagery. Our publishing initiative always considers stories and information in an educational context. All of our publications are developed by a team of Northern educators and language experts.

Every season, Inhabit Education Books releases new fiction and non-fiction titles at various reading levels. These titles incorporate concepts that students are familiar with—counting, animals, family, and legends—within a Northern context. These books are designed to support students across Canada in their reading development while providing access to materials that reflect Canada’s diverse geography, culture, and traditions.

MY BRAVO

Written by Jordan Kyak

Illustrated by Steve James

Ages: 6-8

Themes: Friendship, courage, perseverance

Synopsis: Jordan loves driving his Bravo. It might be small, but it’s tough. He uses his Bravo for hunting, helping his family, and more.

MAKING A WHOLE PERSON

Written by Monica Ittusardjuat

Illustrated by Yong Ling Kang

Ages: 7-9

Synopsis:

“Before schools were introduced to the Inuit, we were taught by our relatives.”

In this picture book, Monica Ittusardjuat shares how she learned knowledge and skills in a time before being taken to residential school. She describes how children learned through playing games, imitating grown-ups, and observing adults around them.

I’m grateful I got to read these books because they gave me a peek into a culture that I know very little about. There are very few authentic stories out there about this group and so even though these aren’t what we might consider ‘traditional’ picture books, I think they belong in libraries and classroom bookshelves everywhere.

A big thank you to the Multicultural Children’s Book Day team for all the work they do. There are loads of free resources on their website and a Twitter party tonight with prizes! You can sign up here.

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!

I can’t close without saying a word about #WRAD – World Read Aloud Day – which is February 3rd. I’ll be reading with FOUR classes – what a thrill. Last week, I read one of the stories in FROM HERE TO THERE with a class in Honolulu. I asked the kids to draw a picture of what the first bike would look like if they had invented it! I’ll share those here when I get them. And on Sunday, I’ll be Zooming in with a class in DUBAI! It will be mid-morning for them and sometime after midnight for me!

I also read one of the From Here to There stories with the Lit and Lunch classes from District 15 in Austin, Texas – this group has been meeting every Friday morning with a Zoom visit from different authors – what a vibrant program they have. There were over 300 students on the Zoom – amazing! And when I asked them to draw a picture of what the first gas-powered automobile would have looked like if they had designed it, they immediately got to work.

I hope you have a safe and wonderful weekend.