30 Days of Diverse Picture Books - Lin Yi's Lantern by Brenda Williams & Benjamin Lacombe

It's lucky Day 13 of our 30 Days of Diverse Picture Books. If you have been enjoying our series, you definitely will want to mark your calendars for January 27, 2015 - Multicultural Children's Book Day! This special day is an event that will raise awareness about the need for diverse books and celebrate all the great books already on shelves. Sprout's Bookshelf is proud to be one of the co-hosts of this important event!

Tonight's pick fits right into the spirit of Multicultural Children's Book Day - it's Lin Yi's Lantern by Brenda Williams and Benjamin Lacombe. This gorgeous title is from Barefoot Books, always a great source for high-quality diverse picture books. (Really, you can't go wrong with Barefoot.) And this one is no exception - the story of a young boy tasked to buy supplies for the Moon Festival celebration, who longs for a red rabbit lantern but runs out of money. The choice Lin Yi makes is hard, but he knows it's the right one - and in the end, his love for his family is rewarded.

Everything's beautiful about Lin Yi's Lantern, from the touching storyline to the stunning illustrations. (The Moon Fairy at the end is a special favorite of mine.) I also love the thoughtful touches, from the legend that Lin Yi's Uncle tells, to the explanation of marketing in China, to the activity of making a Chinese lantern. Those are the qualities that help make multicultural literature more relatable to all kids, everywhere, and it's nice to see it so well done in this book!

Pick up Lin Yi's Lantern for the Moon Festival or really any time - it's a story of family and giving that you'll want to read all year round.

Lin Yi's Lantern by Brenda Williams and Benjamin Lacombe, published by Barefoot Books