Multicultural Children's Book Day - Review of Dreaming Up!

I'm SO excited about this event, folks - tomorrow, January 27, 2014 is Multicultural Children's Book Day. Dreamed up by the amazing bloggers Mia from Pragmatic Mom and Valarie from Jump Into a Book, this is an event designed to bring awareness and attention to the importance of multicultural literature in the world of children. You'll want to visit both Pragmatic Mom and Jump Into a Book tomorrow for all the Multicultural Children's Book Day festivities.

Of course you know this is an issue near and dear to my heart - the need for diversity in literature is what prompted me to begin writing Sprout's Bookshelf and what drives me to continue to seek out quality multicultural books for Sprout and other kids. I'm fortunate now to work in a library system, where a part of my job is ordering all the picture books for our branches. And I can tell you that, while there are some amazing multicultural books being published each year (you'll see proof of that from Multicultural Children's Book Day sponsors Susan Fayad and publishers Wisdom Tales, Chronicle Books, and Lee & Low), it's just not enough. Diverse books not only provide much-needed mirrors for children of color to see themselves reflected in literature, they also give white children a window into the experience of others. And that's vital if we are to raise sensitive, compassionate kids who are global citizens.

I read a whole lot of multicultural kids books over the course of a year and keep lists of hundreds more (check out our Pinterest boards for proof!), so it's never hard for me to find something to recommend when asked for a good pick. I find that some publishers are easy to rely on for thoughtful reads that incorporate diversity seamlessly into the storyline or characters. Lee & Low has long been a go-to publisher for me, and their recent book Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building was no exception. Author Christy Hale has pulled off an incredible feat with this title -- I mean, who would think that a book about architecture could be not only accessible to the picture-book set, but also a page-turner? But Dreaming Up is just such a book.

Right from the cover you know this title is going to be somewhat different. It features an illustration of a brown-skinned youngster building a block tower, against a field of photos of famous buildings. Inside, Hale presents the concept -- on the lefthand side of each spread, an image of children creating their own structures from familiar materials, and on the righthand side, a photograph of a landmark piece of architecture that mirrors the children's creation. Thus, kids who are stacking cups into spires are set opposite a photo of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. A house of sticks built by two girls flanks a picture of the Bamboo Church in Cartagena, Colombia. And best of all, each spread features a snippet of poetry, artfully arranged in a way that sets off the shape of the building being shown, and which suits the tone of the landmark as well.

I'm hard pressed to say just how terrific this title is, as a resource and as an inspiration. Sprout's eyes lit up when we explained the concept to him. He was every bit as fascinated by the book itself as with the glossary at the end, which shows each building along with the architect who designed it, and gives a brief history of creator and creation. I especially love the quote Hale includes from architect Nader Khalili, who said, "Everything we need to build is in us, and in the place." To me, that sums up the essence of Dreaming Up -- that the seeds that are planted in children as they play, take root in later life, when inspiration of place and material are married with those early dreams.

I love the thought that Dreaming Up may inspire a generation of future architects, designers, engineers, creatives of every sort. And I especially love that when we looked at the faces of all these great men and women, who designed such iconic pieces of artwork, Sprout pointed out that, "They all look different, Mom. And that man (Ghanian architect David Adjaye) looks like me!" Therein, my friends, is the power of diversity -- the dream made possible, viewed through windows and in mirrors.

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building, by Christy Hale, published by Lee & Low Books
Ages 4-7
Source: Library
Highly recommended

Mom's Bookshelf - The Book of Happiness: Africa by Joseph Peter

You know what's great about book people - once they hear about a particular subject you're interested in, every time they come across something related to it, they can't help but share it with you. I'm guilty of this myself (as many who have had books eagerly foisted upon them by me can attest). And I love love love when it happens to me in reverse. Because let's be honest, even I can't spot every cool book on my lonesome, no matter how hard I try.

Today's pick is a perfect case-in-point, as it's one that one of our catalogers found and alerted me to. Though I like to think I'm pretty savvy with what's coming out in the world of kidlit, this one is an adult title, so it completely passed under my radar. And I'm so glad that Kim pointed it out, because it is an absolute keeper, one anyone with any sort of connection to Africa needs on their bookshelf. Really.

The story behind Joseph Peter's The Book of Happiness: Africa is a pretty terrific one. In 2010 Peter, a photographer and former pro soccer player, traveled the continent of Africa, visiting 50 countries in 75 days as part of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. While he was there, he ended up shooting an incredible amount of images. The bulk of these were portraits of the faces of Africa, people from all regions and walks of life. When the project was completed, Peter had a stunning collection of photos, a selection of which are compiled in this volume, a twin to one that Peter made and presented as a gift to Nelson Mandela.

And let me tell you, the photos in this book are stunning. Jaw-dropping, heart-stopping. For all those who refer to Africa as though it were one country, waiting to be rescued by wealthy foreigners -- this book is the rebuttal to that argument. Here is the gorgeous diversity that comes from a continent of extraordinary richness. Here are the faces of Africans, celebratory and joyful, mischievous and sweet, elated and proud. Here is the fabric of life in a world of contradictions and contrasts, bursting from the page to bring a smile to every reader's face.

Peter has given the world a truly incredible piece of art in this collection, something that kids and adults alike will enjoy. I love that he's included a short blurb about each photo in the back, including where it was taken and some thoughts about the photo. All the photos are collected in an incredible montage of Nelson Mandela's face, that closes the book in perfect harmony. We couldn't get enough of looking at this title as a family, and explaining to Sprout that all of these faces were Africans, just like him, as we pointed out the countries where they lived.

Next time someone refers to "African" traditions or "African" people, whip out this terrific book and help them see how truly complex is the makeup of this diverse continent. And help them too see the joy in Africa, the pure and uncomplicated beauty that is manifested by the faces seen here through Peter's lens. Because yes, there's poverty, and yes, there's war. But there's hope too, and honor, and sheer delight in the bounty of life.

And that, my friends, is real happiness.

The Book of Happiness: Africa by Joseph Peter, published by Spiegel & Grau
All ages
Source: Library

30 Days of Picture Books - One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley

It's Day 11 of Picture Book Month, and today we're thinking globally. We all know the world's a place of incredible diversity and variety, but what does that mean, really? Well, to me it means that we all do different things, but that the essence of us, our humanness is very much the same, no matter where we live. We all love, laugh, grieve, celebrate, ponder and dream -- while the circumstances surrounding those emotions may differ, the end result, our emotions, are universal.

One of the things that's important to us as parents is helping Sprout learn to be a global citizen. We want him to identify not just as an American but as a resident of the world. And a key piece of helping him develop that sensibility is making connections between the life we live, the aspects of our daily routine, and that of people around the globe.

Today's pick is a book that facilitates just that mindset, and does it in a simple yet powerful fashion. One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley is published by the National Geographic Society, and as you might expect, it is filled with truly amazing photography. The narrative is straightforward: Kerley breaks a day down into its typical components, such as breakfast, school, afternoon activities, dinner, family time. For each period of time, she incorporates photos taken from various countries, using each photo to illustrate how the same activity might be accomplished in different ways by children in different regions.

The result is absolutely astounding. As most kids do, Sprout really enjoys looking at photos of other children, and these pictures are by turns hilarious and transfixing. One of his favorite spreads shows children on their way home from school; while a little girl in one photo is skipping home, wearing her Hello Kitty backpack, the other photo is of dozens of children packed onto the back of a cart, beaming brightly into the camera. The captions reveal that the first picture is from Portland, Oregon, while the second was taken in New Delhi, India. Quite disparate parts of the world, obviously, and yet the same message is conveyed in each picture - a small child's total joy at the end of the school day!

If your goal is to raise a global citizen, picture books are an important component to the process. Don't miss this book, or the other richly photographed titles by Barbara Kerley. You're bound to find them just as entrancing as your kiddos will!

One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley, published by the National Geographic Society

Picture Book Review - Shades of Black by Sandra L. Pinkney and Myles C. Pinkney

"I am Black / I am Unique!"

The subtitle of Sandra and Myles Pinkney's Shades of Black is "A Celebration of Our Children", and indeed it is! From the very first page, readers will catch the infectious spirit that runs through this vibrant book. Sandra Pinkney's text has a poetic feel to it, as she demonstrates the range of skin colors that encompasses shades of "brassy yellow" to "midnight blue", and lots more. I love that she draws comparisons between colors and food items, like gingery brown cookies or creamy white ice cream. What a great way to make kids sit up and take notice! The next sections show hair textures and lengths (Sprout likes to point out the "soft puffs in a cotton ball" that are like his own hair), as well as eye colors. Again Sandra Pinkney uses familiar items as points of comparison, so kids will readily see that all kinds of hair and eyes exist -- and "all of my hair is good!".

And no review of this title would be complete without commenting on Myles Pinkney's photos. As central as the text is to this book, the photos are what brings the words to vivid life. Gorgeous boys and girls of all ages display a variety of hair styles, eye colors and skin tones, all of which are emphasized by the text that accompanies them. We love the eye color section, where the kiddos all hold up rocks that match the hues of their own eyes (and we learned some rock names -- bonus!). I love the sly way one girl peeks at the camera out of the corner of her eye, and the playfulness of another flinging around piles of popcorn. Joyful, playful, ebullient!

If you're looking for a way to affirm and uplift your African American child, or to open a discussion about diversity, look no further. Pair with Shades of People or Black is Brown is Tan.

Shades of Black by Sandra L. Pinkney and Myles C. Pinkney, published by Scholastic
All ages
Source: Library
Sample quote: "My hair is the straight edge in a blade of grass / and the twisted corkscrew in a rope / My hair is short and my hair is long / All of my hair is good"
Highly recommended