Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book to review by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

My Magic Breath by Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor, illustrated by Michelle Polizzi

Publisher: Harper Collins
Age Range: 4 – 8
Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Format: Hardcover

Synopsis

Do YOU have the magic breath?

Let’s see…Take a deeeeeep breath in…and BLOW it out…

…and like magic, you can feel better just by breathing! Sometimes it’s hard to feel happy. But with this interactive picture book, children breathe along as they learn how to make angry or sad thoughts disappear.

In a world that is sometimes too busy, with too many things going on, My Magic Breath will help steer children into a serene space of mindfulness, self-awareness, and balance.

Reflection
If you like interactive books like Press Here or Mix It Up, then you’re likely to enjoy this forthcoming mindfulness book for preschoolers and early elementary aged students.  It’s a new bedtime story favorite book of ours!

My Magic Breath reminds kids (and adults) that peace is just a single breath away. All you have to do is remember to breathe.  We all have “magic breath” and can use it anytime we feel mad, sad, nervous or worried. Throughout the book, readers are instructed to breath in their happy or sad thoughts and then blow them out onto the page.  My kids love reading this book and pretend to blow the illustrations right off the page.

I think My Magic Breath is a beautifully illustrated book that explains the concept of mindfulness and deep breathing in a fun and easy to understand way for little readers. A great book to read for story time at the end of each day or in a kids mindfulness group/class.

Your turn: Do you practice mindfulness with your children?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Disclaimer: We received a complimentary book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Chineasy for Children by Shaolan

Publisher: Thames and Hudson
Pages: 80
Format: Hardcover

Do your children know more than one language? My kids are both learning Spanish at school and I take them to free language classes (Spanish and French) offered for kids at one of our local libraries.

I’ve always wanted to learn Chinese/Mandarin so this book provides the perfect learning opportunity for both me and the kids! Chineasy for Children is so easy to grasp and quickly be able to understand 100 common words (characters) in Chinese.

Introductory spreads explain how Chinese is written in pictograms―characters form building blocks for other words and sentences. Subsequent spreads feature lively scenes that help children to recognize over 100 Chinese characters. The book is organized by themes such as numbers, family, animals, nature and food, each section covering vocabulary within that topic. Stories about the development of characters and customs provide the perfect introduction to Chinese culture, while games and activities allow children to put into practice what they have learned. The book also features a picture library of characters for avid linguists to memorize as well as guidance on Mandarin pronunciation.

I like using this book with the kids and on my own!  I think it’s a fantastic introduction to Chinese for kids and adults alike.  Apart from the lively illustrations and simplicity of the book, I appreciate reading about the history behind some of the characters.  For example, the character for the word father shows the shape of two axes crossed together.  This character represents a time when it was common for a man to chop wood with an axe to make a fire for his family.

There are also thought provoking Chinese proverbs featured throughout and fun questions to think about.  The answer key is provided in the back of the book along with useful notes for parents and teachers.  Chineasy for Children is perfect for homeschooling or anyone who wants to learn to understand some of the most common Chinese characters.  Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Your turn: Do your children know more than one language?  Have you or your children learned any Chinese characters?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Disclaimer: I partnered with the publisher and joined the Penguin Young Readers blog tour in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Islandborn by Junot Diaz, illustrated by Leo Espinosa

Understanding who we are is maybe one of life’s biggest questions. Knowing where we came from is extremely important. It impacts who we are, how we think, what we believe, how we interact with others, what we think is possible for ourselves, whether we view the world as good or bad, what we strive for. Our history—our upbringing—impacts everything we think, believe and do.

Keeping your culture (or native language) alive at home will reinforce in your children a sense of identity and will build their self-esteem. Children benefit from learning to value their roots and their culture. Children must be taught that we are all different and that differences must not only be accepted but also celebrated and that their culture (and language) is something they have to take pride in.

One way of helping children appreciate diversity is to teach them about different cultures through books.  It’s important for children to learn each culture is unique but equally important and valuable. Respecting others begins by respecting ourselves and our heritage.

When I first learned about Junot Diaz’s children’s book I was estatic!  Even though I wasn’t born on an island (I was born in the US), my mother was born in Jamaica and so was my husband and his family.  Therefore, we take pride in celebrating our Jamaican culture.

In the book Islandborn, a little girl named Lola longs to remember the island where she was born for her school homework assignment. Thankfully, with the help of family and friends Lola’s imagination takes her on a journey back to the island.  As she talks to different people, Lola uses her sketchbook to write down simple phrases to help her remember.  Finally in the end, Lola goes home and draws pictures of everything she wrote down and creates a gorgeous book for her class assignment.

The book never explicitly states which island Lola is from, but I assume it’s the Dominican Republic where Junot Diaz emigrated from based on a magnet placed on the refrigerator in one of the illustrations.  There is also mention of a “monster” that fell upon the island for thirty years which is likely a metaphor for Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo.

Although I think the text is quite wordy for a picture book aimed at readers ages 5-8, I liked this book for several different reasons:

• The thing that stood out the most to me is there are no White characters featured in this book.  You will also see a variety of diverse character names like: Mai, India, Camila, Matteo, Nu, Leticia, Dalia, etc.
• Each page is frame worthy – the illustrations are bursting with bright, beautiful colors
• The overall messages of understanding and appreciating where you came from and your family history rings loud and clear
• It challenges children to use their imagination
• By Lola understanding her past, it will no doubt give her future wisdom-filled direction

After reading Islandborn, the kids completed a Jamaican word search puzzle, colored a family tree picture and we made Jamaican flags using construction paper.  A fun way to reflect on the story, our family history and explore the island of Jamaica.

Reading this book may help remind little readers of who they are, what motivates them, and what their purpose is. It reminded me of that little kid I was—the one who dreamed big, feared little, and enjoyed the simple things in life. Islandborn reminds me of what really matters: family, building great friendships and relationships, and taking pride in your heritage and culture.

Your turn: How do you teach your kids to keep their culture alive and take pride in where they came from?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Disclaimer: We received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher (Scholastic Press) in exchange for an honest review.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Tiny and the Big Dig by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Matt Myers

Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age Range: 3-5
Grade Level: Preschool – Kindergarten
Format: Hardcover

Synopsis
Tiny may be a small dog, but don’t let that fool you. He’s a pooch with power who knows what he wants. And he’s going for it. But oh, those pesky pessimists — they’re trying to rain on Tiny’s dig-parade!

Thank goodness for one special boy who believes in Tiny, because in the end, this dog’s grit proves that he’s the little pup who could… dig up some giant surprises!

Reflection
Tiny and the Big Dig is a fun rhyming read aloud with colorful illustrations…perfect for story time! I love the overall message of believing in yourself and avoiding negative talk from the naysayers.

Not only did little Tiny believe in himself, but so did his kid owner, a cute little unnamed Black boy. He cheered little Tiny on until the very end.  I love how Tiny proves all of the other animals wrong in the end and finds a “really big” bone!  I think this book is great for showing kids it doesn’t matter how small you are to accomplish goals or make a difference.  Kids may also enjoy the bright and cheerful cartoon-like illustrations which are very engaging.

Overall, I think this is a fun read aloud for smaller readers.  I’d especially recommend this one for children who like excavation, digging, exploring, or dogs.

Your turn: Have you read this book with your little readers yet?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence, illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Format: Paperback
Pages: 128
Age Range: 6 – 9 years
Grade Level: 1 – 4

Synopsis
Eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi is a flamingo fan, tree climber, and top-notch mess-maker!

She’s also tired of her big sister, Sophie, always getting to do things first. For once, Jasmine wishes SHE could do something before Sophie―something special, something different. The New Year approaches, and as the Toguchi family gathers in Los Angeles to celebrate, Jasmine is jealous that her sister gets to help roll mochi balls by hand with the women. Her mom says that Jasmine is still too young to join in, so she hatches a plan to help the men pound the mochi rice instead. Surely her sister has never done THAT before.

But pounding mochi is traditionally reserved for boys. And the mochi hammer is heavier than it looks. Can Jasmine build her case and her mochi-making muscles in time for New Year’s Day?

Reflection

Thank you to author Debbi Michiko Florence for sending me this book to review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 (1/27/18) is in its 5^th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Their mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.

What an adorable character Jasmine Toguchi is!  She’s a smart and spunky Japanese-American third grader with a fun personality.  I think it’s so great for Japanese children to be able to use the books in this chapter series as mirrors into their own culture.  Other children, like mine, will enjoy using these books as windows to learn a few things about the Japanese culture like how to make mochi.  Mochi is a sticky rice treat that is made into different shapes.  There is a recipe included in the back of the book if you want to try and make it on your own.  We haven’t tried it yet, but I’m so tempted to have our own mochi making party at home or with some friends for a play date!

We enjoyed reading this chapter book aloud at bedtime over the course of two weeks.  The chapters were just long enough to help us squeeze in about 10 – 15 minutes (on average) of read aloud time per chapter.  I think the book is great for early readers (age 7 – 8) to read independently on their own, maybe with a little help from an adult when needed.  It was interesting to learn about some Japanese traditions and to see how Jasmine added her own updated twist to them.  The black and white illustrations were also an added bonus and helped to bring some of the text to life.

This book has themes of: gender biases, family, traditions, sibling rivalry and food.  Definitely one to check out if you’re looking for a fun chapter series for early readers.

More Information About Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Current Sponsors: MCBD 2018 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board.

2018 MCBD Medallion Sponsors

HONORARY: Children’s Book Council, Junior Library Guild

PLATINUM: Scholastic Book Clubs

GOLD: Audrey Press, Candlewick Press, Loving Lion Books, Second Story Press, Star Bright Books, Worldwide Buddies

SILVER:Capstone Publishing, Author Charlotte Riggle, Child’s Play USA, KidLit TV, Pack-n-Go Girls, Plum Street Press

BRONZE: Barefoot Books, Carole P. Roman, Charlesbridge Publishing, Dr. Crystal Bowe, Gokul! World, Green Kids Club, Gwen Jackson, Jacqueline Woodson, Juan J. Guerra, Language Lizard, Lee & Low Books, RhymeTime Storybooks, Sanya Whittaker Gragg, TimTimTom Books, WaterBrook & Multnomah, Wisdom Tales Press

2018 Author Sponsors

Honorary Author Sponsors: Author/Illustrator Aram Kim and Author/Illustrator Juana Medina

Author Janet Balletta, Author Susan Bernardo,  Author Carmen Bernier-Grand, Author Tasheba Berry-McLaren and Space2Launch, Bollywood Groove Books, Author Anne Broyles,  Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Eugenia Chu, Author Lesa Cline-Ransome, Author Medeia Cohan and Shade 7 Publishing, Desi Babies, Author Dani Dixon and Tumble Creek Press, Author Judy Dodge Cummings, Author D.G. Driver, Author Nicole Fenner and Sister Girl Publishing, Debbi Michiko Florence, Author Josh Funk, Author Maria Gianferrari, Author Daphnie Glenn, Globe Smart Kids, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Author Quentin Holmes, Author Esther Iverem, Jennifer Joseph: Alphabet Oddities, Author Kizzie Jones, Author Faith L Justice , Author P.J. LaRue and MysticPrincesses.com, Author Karen Leggett Abouraya, Author Sylvia Liu, Author Sherri Maret, Author Melissa Martin Ph.D., Author Lesli Mitchell, Pinky Mukhi and We Are One, Author Miranda Paul, Author Carlotta Penn, Real Dads Read, Greg Ransom, Author Sandra L. Richards, RealMVPKids Author Andrea Scott, Alva Sachs and Three Wishes Publishing, Shelly Bean the Sports Queen,  Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Gayle H. Swift Author Elsa Takaoka, Author Christine Taylor-Butler, Nicholette Thomas and  MFL Publishing  Author Andrea Y. Wang, Author Jane Whittingham  Author Natasha Yim

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.

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Scholastic Book Clubs: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be held 1/27/18 at 9:00pm EST.

Join the conversation and win one of 12-5 book bundles and one Grand Prize Book Bundle (12 books) that will be given away at the party! http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/twitter-party-great-conversations-fun-prizes-chance-readyourworld-1-27-18/

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teacher-classroom-empathy-kit/

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.