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By Age Range

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Diverse Picture Book Covers that Feel Like Summer

I’m so excited to join in the fun with my very first blog post for Top Ten Tuesday!  Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

When you think about summer, what kind of things come to mind?

Remember, how as a kid, you could play outside until the sun went down and not get bored?  I recall playing games like Tag, Double Dutch, Hide-and-Seek, and Kick the Can just to name a few.  Sometimes, when I think about summer, I am filled with nostalgia when I see my kids doing some of the things I used to do during my childhood.  Summertime is a wonderful reminder that there are so many adventures to be found outside in your neighborhood that cost little to no money.

If you’re looking for some great summer themed picture book recommendations, I hope you’ll enjoy this list.  If you have any additional book recommendations to add to this list, please shout them out in the comments.  Happy Reading!

Book Reviews

Review: American Desi by Jyoti Rajan Gopal

Inspired by the author’s personal experiences navigating two different cultures, American Desi is a beautiful, affirming, and lyrical story that celebrates being bicultural. A young girl who is straddling two different cultural worlds desires to know where she fits in: Is she American? Or is she Indian? Can she be a combination of both?

“One food here,
one foot there
Straddling, bridging worlds apart.

Searching deep within my heart
The different colors of me.”

Oftentimes, bicultural children struggle with finding their identity and have a strong desire to “fit in”.  It can be hard reconciling conflicting values and cultures as a child.

Due to a lack of affirming picture books like American Desi during my childhood, there were times I often struggled with embracing my family’s Caribbean culture, food, and traditions. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized there are so many advantages to being from two cultures.  The little girl in this story learns to embrace her Indian and American cultures much sooner than I did, which is great! She learns she can have the best of both worlds.

She can wear henna, bindis, and bangles or shorts, dresses, and pants. She can watch a game of cricket or football and understand the rules of how each game is played.  She can speak Hindi or English and find her true voice and sounds. She can eat mac ‘n’ cheese with a fork or eat dosas and idlis with her hands.  There are no rules and she learns she doesn’t have to choose.

Instead of feeling like she didn’t fit in anywhere, she understand that she fits in everywhere! She fits in with her Indian and American community while staying true to all she knows.

Supriya Kelkar’s illustrious collage-style illustrations enhance this heartwarming story and help make it even more special.  Kelkar use of mixed media, rich colors and texture makes this book a delight to read with the turn of each page.

Overall, American Desi is a beautiful story about a girl juxtaposed between two wonderful cultures in search of finding her true self. Recommended for ages 4 – 8 and up.

Go Beyond the Book: Listen to my podcast interview with Jyoti and Supriya here.

Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a kindergarten teacher, writer, and mom who loves taking any opportunity to break out her Bollywood moves and hip-hop grooves. She grew up in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, and China and now lives in New York City, so she knows what it feels like to be caught between multiple cultures. She chooses to embrace all her wondrous colors! This is her debut children’s book. Visit her online at http://jyotirajangopal.com/.

Supriya Kelkar grew up in the Midwest, where she learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. Supriya is a screenwriter who has worked on the writing teams for several Hindi films and one Hollywood feature. She is the author of Bindu’s BindisAmerican as Paneer Pie; and Strong as FireFierce as Flame, among others. This is her debut illustrated book. She invites you to visit her online at http://supriyakelkar.com.

bookstores

Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day!

Independent Bookstore Day is celebrated each year on the last Saturday in April here in the U.S. It’s a national day to celebrate and shop at your local independently owned bookstore.  Many bookstores host large and small events around the country.  As a thank-you to loyal customers who support independent booksellers, bookstores plan in-store events and stock exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day. Not before. Not after. And not online.

My daughter and I are planning to visit a couple of local bookstores in our area like Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore and River Bend Bookshop.

Online retailers like Bookshop.org are also getting in on the fun!  This weekend only they are offering FREE shipping!

Use my code HWR on Libro.fm to take advantage of their audiobook offer.  You will receive a free audiobook when you start a new monthly membership. You’ll get two audiobooks for the price of one, $14.99. US and Canada only.  Libro.fm is also celebrating Independent Bookstore Day by having a limited-time sale on a special selection of bestselling audiobooks, offered 4/25-5/1.

If you’re looking to support indie alternatives in your literary life, Libro.fm put together a guide for books, audiobooks, e-books, book discovery, and beyond!

I’m also excited about the return of the CT Bookstore Passport!

Here’s how it works:

Visit all 17 participating bookstores over the weekend to win a Passport Prize, a 20% coupon from each store (some exclusions apply) and be entered into a Grand Prize raffle. Five (5) people will be drawn at random to win a Grand Prize of a $50 gift card from EACH store. That’s an incredible $850 in books!!

No purchase necessary, just stop in to all 17 stores during bookstore hours and get your stamp. It’s a furiously fun way to spend a weekend with books, book lovers and booksellers!

BONUS: If you’re unable to visit 17 bookstores in 2 days, but still want to explore some of Connecticut’s fabulous indie bookstores you’re in luck!

Finish your passport by Monday, September 5 (Labor Day) and you’ll be entered to win our Slow & Steady prize – one (1) prize of a $20 gift card to EACH participating store.

Need a list of the participating Connecticut bookstores?

Athena Books
228 Sound Beach Ave., Old Greenwich

Bank Square Books
53 W Main Street, Mystic

Barrett Bookstore
6 Corbin Drive, Darien

Bennett’s Books
171 Main Street, Deep River

Book Trader Cafe
1140 Chapel St. New Haven

Byrd’s Books
178 Greenwood Ave. Bethel

Elm Street Books
35 Elm Street New Canaan

Goods & Curiosities, The Griswold Inn Store
47 Main Street, Essex

Harbor Books
146 Main Street, Old Saybrook

House of Books
10 North Main Street, Kent

River Bend Bookshop
2217 Main Street, Glastonbury

RJ Julia Booksellers
768 Boston Post Road, Madison

The Hickory Stick Bookshop
2 Green Hill Rd, Washington Depot

The Key Bookstore
1429 Park St, ST 214, Hartford

Turning The Page
477 Main Street, Monroe

Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
413 Main Street, Middletown

Your turn: Are you ready to BOOK your Road Trip? How do you celebrate Independent Bookstore Day?

author interviews

The Bad Guys: Interview with Author Aaron Blabey and Film Director Pierre Perifel

Disclaimer: This post is in partnership with Universal Pictures. All opinions expressed are my own.

What do you do when you’re asked to interview an author of a New York Times Bestselling series and a film director in-person in Los Angeles, California?  You pack your bags and hop on a plane to take advantage of the opportunity, right?

Our family recently had the pleasure of going to the DreamWorks Animation Studio in Glendale, California to watch an early private screening of the hit movie The Bad GuysThe Bad Guys is a an animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was directed by Pierre Perifel (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Etan Cohen, and is based on the #1 New York Times best-selling children’s book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey, who serves as an executive producer with Cohen and Patrick Hughes.

Set in Los Angeles, the film centers on five notorious friends, known simply as ‘the bad guys.’ There’s confident pickpocket Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell); slithery safecracker Mr. Snake (Marc Maron); the Great White master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson); fiery “muscle” Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos); and sassy tech specialist/ expert hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina). The family-friendly, action packed -movie features a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws who are about to attempt their most challenging con yet — becoming model citizens.

We enjoyed this movie so much and loved watching Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Mr. Piranha, and Ms. Tarantula on the big screen. My kids (currently ages 8 and 9) are huge fans of the graphic novel series and the movie did not disappoint my little  bookworms. The movie kept us laughing and sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to see what would happen next.

Aaron Blabey, Pierre Perifel and the Dreamworks creative team have created a highly entertaining film, one that’s populated with memorable characters and tells a worthwhile story that’ll resonate with grown-ups and children. The film explodes with all-ages laughs, surprises, and kid-friendly action. There’s hardly a dull moment in the movie. In short, The Bad Guys is an awesome time!

After we finished watching the movie, I interviewed Aaron Blabey and film director Pierre Perifel.  Check out the full video below (approximately 12 minutes long) on my YouTube channel.

Your turn: Have you seen this movie yet? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the movie below in the comments.

Lifestyle & Family

Is It Time Yet? Teaching Kids Time Management with a Lakeshore Learning Giant Classroom Timer

“Is it time yet?” “How much longer?” “Am I almost done?”

If you are a parent, caregiver, or educator, it’s likely your child or student has repeatedly asked you one of those questions while waiting for something, working on a task, or completing an activity.  It’s common for some kids (and adults) to become frustrated with not knowing how much time they have left to complete something.

Enter the Giant Classroom Timer from our friends at Lakeshore Learning. This visual timer might help alleviate some frustration by providing kids with a way to “see” time passing by. I love that this timer can be mounted to a wall or set on a table. Plus, the large screen display allows you to read the numbers up close or further away from across the room.

To use the timer simply decide the number of minutes and seconds needed to complete a task, adjust the volume, and then press the start button.  As time passes, the minutes and seconds countdown and then the timer beeps when time is up.  Press the stop button and the beeping will end.

Now that my kids are older and understand the concept of time, I incorporate timers with them for things like: independent reading time, managing screen time, bedtime routines, clean up time, and brushing their teeth. In addition to verbal communication from a trusted grown-up, timers can also help set clear expectations in a visual way that’s easy for children who understand the concept of time.

While timers are great for some timed tasks or activities, there are instances when I let the kids keep going if they want to continue past the allotted time.  For example, if they want to read, clean their rooms, or brush their teeth or an extra five minutes…go for it! I also wouldn’t recommend timers for creative tasks like craft projects. Let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than being interrupted by a loud “ding” or “beep” when you’re in the middle of creating something.

I also use this timer for myself when I’m tackling my to-do list, cooking dinner, baking, or cleaning the house.  Timers are an effective tool for time management which is an essential life skill.  However, I think each individual or family should use timers in a way that is sensitive to their children’s or student’s needs and use them in age and developmentally appropriate ways.

You can also use the Giant Classroom Timer to:

  • Ease and manage daily routines: hygiene (brushing your teeth), morning, dinner, cleanup, bath/shower & bedtime.
  • Monitor time for homework, computer use, instrument practice and play time.
  • Manage time-outs: help children calm down and watch their frustration fade as time passes by.
  • Be punctual: when the time runs out, we’ll go!
  • Be productive: how quickly can you clean your room/playroom?
  • Be organized: keep track of valuable time and break large, overwhelming projects into small, manageable 10-minute activities.
  • Be healthy: finish your broccoli before the timer runs out!

Do you use timers in your home or classroom?  What is your favorite way to use timers?

Use my coupon code to get 20% off any single non-sale item. My coupon code is 3755. It can be used for purchases in-store or online.

Valid through 2/28/2022 for one-time use in stores or online. Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid on items with shipping restrictions. Other exclusions may apply. Visit bit.ly/3bbUXIj for details.

Learn more about the Giant Classroom Timer here.

Board Books (0-3years)

The 2022 Ultimate List of Diverse Children’s Books

What books are you and your kids looking forward to reading in 2022?  We’re entering this new year with another epic list of diverse reads to share with you.  Ready?

Most of the books listed here are recommended either for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary readers since my children fall within those groups and so do the little readers in my core target audience. However, I’ve also included a few middle grade and young adult books for slightly older readers to enjoy as well.  The best part is all these books are available for pre-order now so you can get a head start on your shopping.

Rest assured, I’ve selected what I think will be the “best of the best” in terms of diverse books.  I know other amazing books will be released throughout the year, but these are the ones that were on my radar right now.  As other books are released, I will come back and make changes to this post throughout the year so be sure to check it periodically or bookmark it to read later.

I’m looking forward to sharing most (if not all) of these books with my little readers.  As always, I tried to target books that will likely have: stunning illustrations, read aloud appeal, a kid-friendly theme – or all three!  Enjoy!

Note: ** Since other countries have different release dates, some of these books may be released earlier or later internationally than the months I have listed as publication dates do sometimes change. **

Check out our lists from previous years: 2021 2020, 2019201820172016

Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this list.  Feel free to subscribe to my mailing list if you’re not already.  Let’s stay in touch!

Your turn:  What books from this list are you most looking forward to?  What books should I add to the list?  Feel free to share in the comments.

black history

Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History by Schele Williams (A Book Review)

From this book we learn that Black history begins in Africa before 1619 when Africans grew beautiful kingdoms and passed them down from generation to generation.

The book then moves on to the summer of 1619 when ships arrived from Europe onto the shores of Africa. Instead of placing blame or talking about the pain and suffering enslaved people had to endure for over four hundred years, the book introduces nine traits that our ancestors had: love, intellect, determination, courage, brilliance, strength, ingenuity, grace, and dignity.

Through words and gorgeous illustrations, readers also learn about over forty-seven brilliant Black innovators and inventors. Some people are well-known like George Washington Carver, but many are lesser known such as Sarah Boone, Augustus Jackson, Buddy Bolden, and more.

Your Legacy is a positive and “feel good” story that challenges readers to not only honor and be proud of the sacrifices and legacy of their ancestors, but to also think about their own legacy or their family’s legacy.

Recommended for ages 4 – 8 and up. Available now wherever books are sold. Written by Schele Williams, illustrated by Tonya Engel. Published by Abrams. Be sure to download the free Your Legacy printable activity sheet here to start writing your family’s legacy.

Book Reviews

Eyes That Speak to the Stars by Joanna Jo (A Book Review)

This is a beautiful story that should be in every home and school library. Books like this may help to have productive discussions about self-acceptance, racism, and anti-bullying from an early age. Teaching children to accept people for who they are and what they look like may help mold young, impressionable minds to be more accepting and empathetic of others.

Unfortunately, many Asian Americans are still facing racist attacks, both verbal and physical – just for being Asian.  How sad is it that the shape of someone else’s eyes (or the color of their skin) is enough to make some people dislike them immediately?  When others reduce your entire identity to a simple facial feature like your eyes, it can have lasting and harmful psychological effects.   No one likes feeling left out, especially kids who are learning to discover where they fit into the world.

To every Asian who has ever been bullied, you are not alone.  You are seen, heard, and worthy.  People should not be ridiculed for the shape of their eyes, the color of their skin, or for any other reason.  Forgive yourself if you’ve let negative remarks make you think you needed to “fix” everything that bullies said was ugly and weird.  Understand that you don’t need to look like the Eurocentric standard of beauty to be liked or loved or to “fit in”.  Ignore the hateful remarks and hurtful comments.  Continue to hold your head high and look to the stars. For your eyes are magical, powerful, and beautiful.  “Your eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars.”

Eyes That Speak to the Stars is recommended for ages 4 – 8 and up.  This book publishes on February 15, 2022, but can be pre-ordered now.

Read my review of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners here!

Have you read the companion book, Eyes That Kiss in the Corners?  Sound off in the comments!

black history

Keeping the Dream Alive: 30+ Children’s Books to Read for Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Or Anytime of the Year)

Looking for the best Martin Luther King Jr. children’s books?

Even if you do nothing to celebrate or acknowledge Dr. King, the holiday is a wonderful opportunity to talk to children about racism, diversity, equality, kindness, friendship, and peace.  Since his death in April 1968, many have stepped up to carry on his legacy including: Stacey Abrams, Bryan Stevenson, Tamika D. Mallory and others. It has truly been inspiring to see so many new activists and politicians continuing to stand up and speak out against injustices the same way Dr. King did years ago.

Below I’m sharing some great children’s books inspired by the life and legacy of one of our nation’s most prominent civil rights activists, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  I’ve also included book recommendations for his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Let me know in the comments some of your favorite Dr. King children’s books.

By Age Range

The Best 21 Diverse Children’s Books of 2021 to Read Over and Over Again

Looking for some of the best diverse children’s books published in 2021?

Below I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of children’s books that I consider to be the “best of the best” that were published in 2021.  Rest assured, my children and I have read each of these books several times together throughout the year.  I believe these are books children (and adults) will be excited to read again and again.  Let me know in the comments which of these you’ve read or are excited to read with the little readers in your life.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you!

 

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