Books offer an amazing window into the world from the comfort of our homes, and the more viewpoints and cultures we can find represented in books the more we learn. As a third culture kid, I learned about different cultures by traveling the globe, but even then books broadened that world and helped me understand it. With my own children being primarily raised in a single (albeit pretty diverse) place, I’m more grateful than ever for books to show them the world beyond our front door. I’m thrilled to Co-Host Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 in its 7th year.
Some links on this site are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you! Learn more.
My Book Reviews for MCBD 2020
What You'll Find on This Page
Every year, publishers send me a few books to review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. I get to choose which books I review, and this year I LOVED the choices I was offered!
New Kid by Jerry Craft
My kids LOVE graphic novels, so I know we needed to read Jerry Craft’s New Kid. Main character Jordan Banks feels like a fish out of water in his new private school – at first. Can he find a way to live between worlds? I loved the answers to struggles and friendships that the author crafted in this story while not sugar coating reality.
The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw
Books introduced me to the story of the atom bomb in Hiroshima while I was a child. Kathleen Burkinshaw lends new depth to our understanding of this event with The Last Cherry Blossom, which is based on her own mother’s firsthand experience surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. My 13-year-old daughter Emma read this book, too, and she told me that once she started she couldn’t put it down. She wrote me her own review:
I read The Last Cherry Blossom. I have read quite a few books about World War II, but I haven’t read very many from a child’s point of view. I felt like this was very well written, and all of the characters seemed very real and life like. I would recommend this book for probably middle schoolers and up, and it would be a good book to read if you are interested in learning more about World War II.
Emma, 13 years old
Let’s Celebrate! Special Holidays Around the World by Kate DePalma, Illustrated by Martina Peluso
Barefoot Books crafts beautiful globally aware books for children, and this one is no exception. I’m planning to use Let’s Celebrate! Special Days Around the World as a curriculum of sorts next year, when I’ll be homeschooling my two youngest daughters again. The book includes an at-a-glance timeline of when the different holidays occur so that you can plan them out throughout the year.
Global Kids: 50+ Games, Crafts, Recipes & More from Around the World by Homa Sabet Tavangar and Sophie Fatus
It’s not a book, but the children’s book publisher Barefoot Books produces Global Kids: 50+ Games, Crafts, Recipes & More from Around the World and it’s well worth including here. Written by Homa Sabet Tavanger of Growing up Global and Sophie Fatus, this is a charming set that I also plan to use in our homeschool this next year! The cards are divided into categories: create, play, eat, celebrate, and help out. I love that service is one of the included categories! The activities are pretty easy to execute using household items. They are all screen free. This is a beautiful set that you can pull activities from for a homeschool program or simply as a fun way to spend a rainy day.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th 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.
Seven 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.
MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board
Super Platinum
Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,
Platinum
Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,
Gold
Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,
Silver
Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,
Bronze
Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books, Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales
Author Sponsor Link Cloud
Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series Green Kids Club, Inc.
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.
Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts
A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews
FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day
- Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
- Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz
- Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
- Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit
TWITTER PARTY! Register here!
Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.
What favorite books do you recommend we read as we celebrate Mulicultural Children’s Book Day 2020?
Join the Multicultural Children’s Book Day Linky!
Share comments and feedback below, on my Facebook page, or by tagging me on Instagram. Sign up for my newsletter to receive book recommendations, crafts, activities, and parenting tips in your inbox every week.
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
That celebrations book looks really good!