Valarie Budayr's Blog, page 94
February 11, 2014
Family Book Festival: Harry The Dirty Dog {Franticmommy}
With the winter doldrums kicking in and families getting restless from being trapped indoors, we thought this would be a perfect time to create a Family Book Festival. And what better way to create a list of books to include in our Family Book Festival is to ask fellow writers, authors, and bloggers for their favorite childhood book favorites along with some matching activities.
So throughout the month of February, we will be enlisting the help, thoughts, and opinions from our participants on what books they remember the most from childhood, and what books are family favorites now. My thought is that this compilation of books, favorite reads, and activities will provide not only a new reading list for the winter, but a sweet walk down memory lane for parents that will last the whole month of February.
The first guest this month for this event is Becky “Franticmommy” Flansburg. You may also know Becky as my “Head Elf” at Audrey Press and Jump Ito a Book and also the Project Manager for the wildly successful Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature that was held January 27th. Welcome Becky!
Becky’s Pick: Harry The Dirty Dog
This books holds a special place in my heart because I remember this as one of my a favorite books as a child. Written more than 50 years ago, the gentle humor and themes of Harry the Dirty Dog still strike a chord with children today. I had forgotten about the magic of Harry until this summer we discovered this book at a garage sale. It was like finding an old friend!
The story of Harry begins as this naughty puppy does is best to avoid his most loathed thing; a BATH. Harry is a white dog with black spots and, as a way of outsmarting his family, he buries his hateful bath scrub brush and runs off into the city to hide. Harry, being the typical nosy dog, investigates the happenings of the city and gets filthy in the process. So dirty, his family doesn’t recognize him when he comes back home. His antics that follow are humorous and creative and in the end, he gets a bath AND gets his family back.
FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK
The Illustrations by Margaret Bloy Graham
The original publication in 1956 included monochromatic illustrations in black and white. In 2002, the illustrator, Margaret Bloy Graham, added subtle splashes of watercolor. The story begins on the title page as illustrations reveal Harry taking his scrub brush and running out of the bathroom. The simple cartoon sketches reveal details that are amusing and not included in the text. The emotions of the irresistible dog are revealed with simple black lines. Several of the illustrations run on to the next page allowing readers to guess or create a story of their own before turning the page.
Author Gene Zion
Born in 1913 in New York City, Gene Zion knew he was an artist when a kindergarten teacher praised one of his drawings. His first paid job as an artist was for painting pictures on the back of his classmates’ raincoats. He graduated with an art degree from Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute and in 1936 he won a national travel poster contest.
Something To Do
We decided to enhance our Harry The Dirty Dog experience with a few activities and this Dog in a Dog recipe/activity from Rhodes bread caught my eye. Yummy bread, hot dogs …and in a shape that the kids loved. What more could you ask? I wanted to include a picture of our finished product, but they “disappeared” too quickly 
We also found a fun Kleenex Box Dog Craft from Plaid/Mod Podge that was not only fun, but exactly what our 2nd Grader needed to hold her Valentines at school!
We also loved this reading of the story from Betty White from the StorylineOnline series.
We hope you enjoy Harry as much as we did!
The post Family Book Festival: Harry The Dirty Dog {Franticmommy} appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
February 6, 2014
February is Family Book Festival Month!
February is such a busy month for a variety of reasons. We have Valentines Day, International Book Giving Day, Lincoln’s birthday, and also President’s day.
But the event we are most excited about is one we created!
With the winter doldrums kicking in and families getting restless from being trapped indoors, we thought this would be a perfect time to create a Family Book Festival. And what better way to create a list of books to include in our Family Book Festival is to ask fellow writers, authors, and bloggers for their favorite childhood book favorites along with some matching activities.
So throughout the month of February, we will be enlisting the help, thoughts, and opinions from our participants on what books they remember the most from childhood, and what books are family favorites now. My thought is that this compilation of books, favorite reads, and activities will provide not only a new reading list for the winter, but a sweet walk down memory lane for parents that will last the whole month of February.
In 2013, Family Book Festival was a huge success and 2014 will be just as fun and info filled as well. Here’s a look back at some of the amazing book picks and activities from our treasured FBF participants.
Family Book Festival: Roscoe Welply and Curious George Gets a Medal (& Awesome Rocket Craft!)
Family Book Festival: Sara Merkel Wilson and The Hobbit: There and Back Again
Family Book Festival: Kara Fleck and Strega Nona
Family Book Festival: Rebecca Flansburg and Robinson Crusoe
Family Book Festival : Renee Cormier & Dr. Seuss
Family Book Festival : Suz Lipman Curious George Rides a Bike
Family Book Festival: Marilyn Scott Waters and Misty of Chincoteague
Family Book Festival: Eileen Straiton and The Little Snowgirl
I personally cannot wait to see what my wonderful bloggers and authors come up with for books and activities! Please stop back to see who stops by to share their books picks and don’t forget to subscribe so you can keep up-to-date with all of JIAB’s updates and events!
Speaking of update…
Here’s a chance to get my #1 seller book The Ultimate Guide To Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on iBooks for only .99! This awesome sale price is only good from February 6th to the 8th so don’t delay. Grab your copy ASAP and let the adventure begin!
Sale ends February 8th, 2014
The post February is Family Book Festival Month! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
February 4, 2014
Guest Author Visit by Elsa Marston: Abd el-Kader, Freedom-fighter and Bridge-builder
It’s my very great pleasure today to welcome world renown author Elsa Marston. Elsa has written prolifically about the Middle East and has published several titles for children. I asked Elsa to stop by today to share her latest release with us The Compassionate Warrior: Abd el-Kader of Algeria (Wisdom Tales Press 2013).
This poignant biography for teens shares Abd el Kader’s efforts to prevent the French colonization of Algeria but what he is truly known for his deep respect and acceptance for friend and foe alike and an in-depth interest in people of all political and religious backgrounds. I can share with you that my own teen couldn’t put this book down and felt greatly inspired by the ideas of Abd el-Kader and his ways of building harmony and peace between people, ideas, and political agendas.
Welcome Elsa. Thank you so much for being here and sharing your journey about writing this fantastic biography.
Abd el-Kader, Freedom-fighter and Bridge-builder
Why should Americans want to know about a man who lived in North Africa 200 years ago?
Because it’s such a great story! In fact, a major motion picture about the Emir Abd el-Kader is currently in the works—and it’ll be worth waiting for.
But who was he? In a nutshell, the Emir (prince, or commander) was an authentic Muslim hero who led resistance to the French conquest of Algeria in the 1830s and ‘40s, yet always sought religious truth and harmony. A celebrity in his own time, he speaks to us today.
And he’s the subject of my recently published book, The Compassionate Warrior: Abd el-Kader of Algeria (Wisdom Tales Press 2013), a biography for teens. I first learned about Abd el-Kader years ago, as a graduate student doing research on the history of France in Algeria. He was dashing, handsome, and young (only 25 when he stood up to the strongest army in Europe). I also knew that he somehow saved the lives of many Christians in Damascus. Intrigued, I remembered him—and when I was recently asked to write a biography of the Emir, in connection with an essay contest (see information below), I couldn’t say no.
Here’s a brief outline of the Emir’s life. He was born in a village of Algeria in 1807, into an elite, highly respected Muslim family; and being a very bright boy, he was well-educated. When the French decided to seize Algeria in 1830, he was chosen by tribal leaders to take on the job of resisting the invasion. Making a quick transition from religious mystic to military strategist, the Emir carried on guerilla warfare against the vastly superior French army for some 15 years. A superb horseman, he quickly earned a reputation for being “un-catchable” (French painters and writers found him a fascinating subject.) He established a more-or-less modern state, and set a high standard for compassion and merciful treatment of prisoners-of-war and captured civilians.
But finally, in late 1847, the Emir had to give up. The French honored him, agreed to his request that he and his family be exiled in Egypt or Palestine, and then promptly broke their promise For almost five years Abd el-Kader and his followers were held prisoners in France, in one fort or château after another. He had attracted much international attention during his military struggle, and now—despite being a prisoner—he became even more of a celebrity, renowned for his intelligence and dignity, his interest in learning about modern ways from military training to Christian thought, and not least of all, his charm. When, thanks in part to the convolutions of French politics, he was finally released, he was lionized even more extravagantly.
Abd del Kader with General Patrice Mahon from France.
Once again, however, the French tricked him, sending him into exile in Turkey, the heart of the Ottoman Empire—where he was not a welcome guest. In 1855 he persuaded the French emperor to let him live in Damascus, Syria, where he was soon greatly esteemed as a teacher. But five years later, 1860, Abd el-Kader learned of plans for a possible massacre of the local Christians. He tried repeatedly to avert it, but in vain. With the connivance of the Ottoman governor, terrible violence broke out, and a great many Christians would have been killed but for Abd el-Kader’s persistent efforts to save them. With his loyal contingent of Algerians-in-exile, he brought them to his very, very large house; but, with thousands of men, women, and children crammed inside until they could be moved elsewhere, it was a time of great suffering.
The western world was thrilled by Abd el-Kader’s heroic saving of the Christians—which he described as simply the humanitarian thing to do and the Islamic thing to do. For the rest of his days he was able to lead a peaceful life, but hardly an idle one. He was still a celebrity, a “must-see” visit for European and American travelers in the Middle East. Fascinated by modern technology, he even played an important role in the construction of the Suez Canal.
He always promoted his belief that all religions, particularly the Abrahamic faiths (Islam, Christianity, Judaism) were basically founded on the same truths. While Abd el-Kader’s feats in times of conflict certainly provide the most dramatic chapters in his story, his role as a pioneer in interfaith bridge-building is most important, I believe, in explaining his relevance today. A man of devout faith who was consistently open-minded, compassionate, and respectful towards all, he is a model for young people, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.
So there are the bare bones of the story. I’m often asked how I did the research for this book. Fortunately, many books and articles were written about Abd el-Kader in the 19th century and early twentieth.. Although by mid-20th century he had been largely forgotten—except by the Algerians, for whom he was always the national hero—in very recent years there has been a revival of interest, with new research, publications, and conferences. The essay contest mentioned at the start is run by the Abdelkader Education Project (www.abdelkaderproject.org) , started in 2008 in Elkader, Iowa. (Yes, Elkader was named in honor of the Emir at its founding in 1846! That suggests how his fame spread during those years when he was giving the French army such a hard time.) I did not, therefore, have to go to Paris and dig through military and diplomatic archives, since someone else had already done it.
And that, it seems to me is one of the main differences between writing nonfiction for young people and for adult readers. The latter expect new research, new findings—perhaps leading to new conclusions. A book for young people, generally speaking, is based on materials already at least somewhat accessible; but this material must be presented as accurately and fairly as possible, and in a way as comprehensible and interesting as possible.
I still faced a challenge, though: how to prevent the biography of a “bigger than life” individual such as the Emir Abd el-Kader from sounding like hagiography. Was he really “perfect,” or did he have any quirks or faults? To be sure, not everything written about him in the 19th century, especially when he was fighting the French, was complimentary. The French troops were indoctrinated to think they would suffer horrible deaths if they fell into Algerian hands—the better to inspire them to fight to the death; thus some French writers described the Emir as a monster, a treacherous, vicious barbarian. This is the way of armies at war, of course, and the media, politicians, and public who support them. But critical books are exceedingly rare. With very few hints that might offer some modification, the picture of the Emir that endures is of an extraordinary man almost too good to be true.
I did, however, try one tactic in hopes of getting a little below the glowing surface. At certain moments in Abd el-Kader’s life, when he—or anyone else—would likely have experienced strong emotional reactions, I suggested what those emotions might well have been, such as disappointment, shock, anger. I’m aware that some writers of biography insist that nothing can be said about—or by—the subject that cannot be backed up by an authentic document. For someone of a different time, place, and culture, however, who did not leave an easily accessible literary heritage, that’s quite a challenge. I can only hope my attempt to give Abd el-Kader a little more depth by suggesting something of his emotional life will help readers feel a little more “human” contact with him.
My book, The Compassionate Warrior, is available from the publisher (www.wisdomtalespress.com) , or Amazon, Powells, or your favorite bookstore. The Wisdom Tales website includes questions for group discussion, and other educational materials to support classroom teaching. I believe there are no other in-depth YA biographies of contemporary or recent-historical Muslims whose faith was an important framework for their lives—except for Malcolm X; thus The Compassionate Warrior offers an unusual chance for discussion of how a person’s religious beliefs can shape his or her life, accomplishments, and relationships..
Oh yes, about that major motion picture. It’s being produced by a team of American, Algerian, and French filmmakers, including Cinema Libre Studio in Los Angeles with Charles Burnett as director. I don’t know when it will reach the screens, but I hope you’ll agree that there is plenty of cinema-worthy drama in Abd el-Kader’s story.
Biographical Note
Elsa Marston is a New Englander who lives in southern Indiana (Bloomington) and writes about the Middle East—where she has close contacts through her late husband’s family in Lebanon plus many sojourns in Egypt, Tunisia, and Palestine. Her recent books include Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories About Teens in the Arab World, The Ugly Goddess, and Women in the Middle East: Tradition and Change, with a picture book, The Olive Tree, forthcoming from Wisdom Tales Press. She’s a theatre-lover, occasional artist, political activist, erstwhile tennis-player, doting grandmother, and cat-person. Her website is www.elsamarston.com, and email: elsa.marston@gmail.com.
The post Guest Author Visit by Elsa Marston: Abd el-Kader, Freedom-fighter and Bridge-builder appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
February 2, 2014
Multicultural Children’s Book Day: A Recap and Some REALLY Big Thank Yous
We did it!
Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature {January 27th} was a HUGE success! Over 65+ bloggers , four major sponsors, numerous authors and hundreds of readers showed up to read, visit and enjoy the multicultural book titles, discussions and book-related activities!
Co-Creators
Meet your hosts and co-creators of Multicultural Children’s Book Day.
Valarie Budayr of Jump Into a Book is a best-selling children’s author of The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden and The Ultimate Guide To Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. She is passionate about making kid’s books come alive and is proud to be a play and reading advocate. Valarie’s mission is to inspire children,families, and communities, to experience and create our world together while having fun.
Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom is a Harvard grad with a love of children’s books (picture books through YA) and sneaking in teachable moments in art, science, math, foreign language and language arts. Mia is passionate about getting kids excited about reading and helping parents ensure that their child is successful at school.
Sponsors
Book Donators
We were blessed with a mittful of wonderful authors and publishers who generously donated review copies of books to our bloggers. Author Margi Preus, Barefoot Books, Sleeping Bear Press, Arundel Publishing, author Renee Prewitt, The Magic Poof, Wisdom Tales Press, Chronicle Books, Lee & Low Books, and Susan Daniel Fayad, author of My Grandfather’s Masbaha.
Bloggers
Each blogger who participated has their own spin, thoughts, reviews and activities connected to Multicultural Children’s Book Day books, so please take the time visit the below blogs and read their posts. We are proud to say all of our bloggers went above and beyond and were instrumental in making this event a huge success.
2GirlsLostInaBook · 365 Days of Motherhood · A Bilingual Baby · A Library Mama · A Simple Life, Really? · Africa to America · After School for Smarty Pants · All Done Monkey · Andi’s Kids Books · Anita Brown Bag · Austin Gilkeson · Barbara Ann Mojica · Between The Covers · Bookish Ambition · Books My Kids Read · Bottom Shelf Books · Cats Eat Dogs · Chasing The Donkey · Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac · Children’s Books Heal · Church o Books · CitizenBeta · Crafty Moms Share · Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes · Early Words · Flowering Minds · Franticmommy · Gathering Books · Geek Club Books · GEO Librarian · GIFT Family Services · Gladys Barbieri · Going in Circles · Growing Barefoot Bookworms · Growing Book by Book · iGame Mom · I’m Not The Nanny · InCulture Parent · Itsy Bitsy Mom · Just Children’s Books · Kid Lit Reviews · Kids Yoga Stories · Kid World Citizen · Kristi’s Book Nook · Mama Lady Books · Mama Smiles · Mission Read · Monkey Poop · Mother Daughter Book Reviews · Mrs AOk · MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter · Ms. Yingling Reads · Multicultural Kids Blog · My White Board · One Sweet World · Open Wide The World · P is for Preschooler · Rapenzel Dreams · Randomly Reading · Reading Through Life · School4Boys · Sharon the Librarian · Spanish Playground · Sprout’s Bookshelf · Squishable Baby · Stanley and Katrina · Svetlana’s Reads and Views · Teach Mama · The Art of Home Education · The Brain Lair · The Educators’ Spin On It · The Family-Ship Experience · The Good Long Road · The Yellow Door Paperie · This Kid Reviews Books · Trishap’s Books · Unconventional Librarian · Vicki Arnold · We3Three · World for Learning · Wrapped in Foil
The Results
This wonderful day came to a close as bloggers, publishers and authors converged on PragmaticMom and Jump Into A Book for one Big Gigantic Linky Party and Giveaway. To date we have over 144 different suggestions for multicultural titles for kids. Please check out our Link Party and create a new reading list for your family!
In Conclusion
Our mission for this event was to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries. Thanks to extended media attention, social media and the help of all involved with Multicultural Children’s Book Day, we feel we achieved all of that {and then some!} and we couldn’t be prouder!
The post Multicultural Children’s Book Day: A Recap and Some REALLY Big Thank Yous appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
January 31, 2014
Flashback on The Foxes {And a The Fox Diaries Special Sale}
Brrrrrr….
That’s all I can say! Snow has been falling like mad, the temps have been dropping, and school has been closed for numerous days. Who ordered this Polar Vortex anyway?
As I sit huddled in sweats and fuzzy slippers, it’s easy to let my thoughts wander to Spring. And Spring at our house means Foxes! As you may know, my journey as a writer, blogger, author and publisher began with the adventure of having a fox family move into our residential are yard years ago.
In those early years, my family would be mesmerized by the antics of Mama Rennie and her silly fox kits. I would blog about these fox adventures and observations every Thursday and HUNDREDS of readers would show up to read the latest installment on that day. Soon {thanks to encouragement from friends, family and my readers} my thoughts turned to creating a children’s book to capture the magic of these Fox antics. Teaming up with my friends and amazing book designer Roscoe Welply, I used those precious adventures and observations to create my best selling books The Fox Diaries: The Year The Foxes Came to Our Garden.
That was back in 2009 when the foxes first arrived in my yard. To this day I am enamored with this special connection I feel with these beautiful animals and the interactions I have had with them. When I sit with them, it’s as if time stopped and the veil between being human and animal is lifted. I now view both the foxes and myself as sharing the same home, the same world.
Then came Fox Batch #2. And Fox Batch #3 and then Batch #4! And this year we predict the adventures and memories will continue! You can read more about the Spring 2013 Fox kits, Smudge, Styx and Skye HERE.
NOW my beloved Fox Diaries book has evolved into an ebook for e-readers to enjoy AND from January 30th to February 1 it is only 99 cents on iBooks and Nook!
I know your family will enjoy these “Fox moments” like my family did and it’s always a great opportunity to teach your children about nature and the wonderful world we live in. I hope you enjoy reading your copy!
As always, thank you for your support (the foxes say “thank you” too) and watch for more fox updates to come in the Spring of 2014!
Want to know more about our “Fox-Filled Spring?” Ask me questions on the comment box below and let me know if you’d like to see more of these delightful creatures who reside in our garden.
The post Flashback on The Foxes {And a The Fox Diaries Special Sale} appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
January 27, 2014
Today’s the Day! Multicultural Children’s Book Day has BEGUN! {Giveaway and Linky}
Today is the official celebration day for the first-ever (and much needed) Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature!
If you are just joining us on this exciting journey, you can read more about the mission and importance of this event here. My fellow co-creator Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom and I would also like to say a huge “THANK YOU” to our MCCBD sponsors Wisdom Tales Press, Chronicle Books, Lee & Low Books, and Susan Daniel Fayad, author of My Grandfather’s Masbaha.
I also want to say another big thank you to the wonderful publishers and authors who donated multicultural books for our review bloggers:
Book donators: Author Margi Preus, Barefoot Books, Sleeping Bear Press, Arundel Publishing, author Renee Prewitt, The Magic Poof, Wisdom Tales Press, Chronicle Books, Lee & Low Books, and Susan Daniel Fayad, author of My Grandfather’s Masbaha.
Let the celebration begin!
If you are a blogger who has written a blog post or review about a multicultural children’s book, please feel free to link up below.
If you are a parent, educator, teacher or librarian looking for new multicultural children’s book titles to share with your little (or big) readers, you’ve come to the right place! This Linky will also serve as a great reading list for the young readers in your life.
Other Ideas to Celebrate MCCBD
Here are some ways you can help us celebrate Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Visit The Multicultural Children’s Book Day page at Jump Into a Book.
Visit our Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board for more reading ideas.
Have children bring in their favorite multicultural book to school on this day and share it with the class. If not today, some time in the near future.
Visit Multicultural Children’s Book Day sponsors Wisdom Tales Press, Chronicle Books, Lee & Low Books and author Susan Daniel Fayad to discover new books to read.
Check out the wonderful multicultural books and booklists on Jump Into a Book and PragmaticMom.
Create a Multicultural Children’s Book Day display around the classroom or library.
Have a conversation with your children, students or fellow educators as to what diversity in children’s literature really means. This event was create to raise awareness and start a dialogue.
Giveaway!
What kind of celebration would this be is we didn’t have prizes? Barefoot Books publishes the most amazing, high-quality books and we want to give one lucky winner the chance to win a Barefoot Book Collection of books! Here’s what one winner will receive.
Barefoot Books World Atlas
The Barefoot Book of Mother & Daughter Tales
The Girl with the Brave Heart
Elephant Dance: A Journey to India
Lola’s Fandango
Lin Yi’s Lantern
Tenzin’s Deer
Little Leap Forward
Mama Panya’s Pancake: A Kenyan Tale
Tales from Celtic Lands
The Rules
*Must be 18 years or older to enter
*One entry per household.
*Staff and family members of Audrey Press or PragmaticMom are not eligible.
*Grand Prize winner has 48 hours to claim prize
*Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on February 2, 2014
As we’ve mentioned before, we have so much gratitude for the 65+ wonderful bloggers who came forward to help us review and share their thoughts on multicultural books for kids for this event.
2GirlsLostInaBook · 365 Days of Motherhood · A Bilingual Baby · A Simple Life, Really? · Africa to America · After School Smarty Pants · All Done Monkey · Andi’s Kids Books · Anita Brown Bag · Austin Gilkeson · Barbara Ann Mojica · Books My Kids Read · Bottom Shelf Books · Cats Eat Dogs · Chasing The Donkey · Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac · Children’s Books Heal · Church o Books · CitizenBeta · Crafty Moms Share · Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes · Early Words · Flowering Minds · Franticmommy · Gathering Books · GEO Librarian · Gladys Barbieri · Going in Circles · Growing Barefoot Bookworms · Growing Book by Book · iGame Mom · I’m Not The Nanny · InCulture Parent · Itsy Bitsy Mom · Just Children’s Books · Kid Lit Reviews · Kids Yoga Stories · Kid World Citizen · Kristi’s Book Nook · Mama Lady Books · Mama Smiles · Mission Read · Mother Daughter Book Reviews · Mrs AOk · MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter · Ms. Yingling Reads · Multicultural Kids Blog · My White Board · One Sweet World · Open Wide The World · P is for Preschooler · Rapenzel Dreams · School4Boys · Sharon the Librarian · Spanish Playground · Sprout’s Bookshelf · Squishable Baby · Stanley and Katrina · Teach Mama · The Art of Home Education · The Brain Lair · The Educators’ Spin On It · The Family-Ship Experience · The Good Long · Road The Yellow Door Paperie · This Kid Reviews Books · Trishap’s Books · Unconventional Librarian · Vicki Arnold · We3Three · World for Learning · Wrapped in Foil
The post Today’s the Day! Multicultural Children’s Book Day has BEGUN! {Giveaway and Linky} appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
January 26, 2014
Spotlight On A Sponsor: Wisdom Tales Press
It’s almost time!
Our much-anticipated Multicultural Children’s Book Day is TOMORROW {January 27, 2014} and we can’t wait to share this event with you!
As you know Jump Into a Book along with PragmaticMom has been busily working on our upcoming national event Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. We want to change that. Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these types of books into classrooms and libraries.
To achieve this, Jump into a Book and Pragmatic Mom has organized and is presenting this first-ever event to celebrate diversity in children’s literature. We have several wonderful sponsors (Wisdom Tales Press, Author Susan Daniel Fayad, Chronicle Books and LEE and Low Books) along with generous publishers and authors who have all agreed to donate books to be reviewed in honor of this event.
BUT FIRST, we want to help you get to know MCCBD’s Platinum Sponsor, Wisdom Tales Press.
Wisdom Tales is a children’s book imprint of the award-winning publishing house, World Wisdom. Wisdom Tales launched in May 2012 and it publishes both children’s and young adult titles.
Wisdom Tales was created for the purpose of sharing the wisdom, beauty and values of traditional cultures and people from around the world with young readers and their families.
Top Titles from Wisdom Tales Press
The Knight, the Princess and the Magic Rock
Fantastic Adventures of Krishna
The Otter, the Spotted Frog and the Great Flood
Wisdom Tales Press Award Winners:
Compassionate Warrior: The USA Book News 2013 Best Books 2013 Multicultural Non-Fiction Finalist
Knight, the Princess & the Magic Rock: The ForeWord Magazine 2012 Book of the Year Award Picture Books Finalist,The (MIPA) Midwest Independent Publishers Association 2012 Book Achievement Award Illustration: Graphic Silver Medal,The (MIPA) Midwest Independent Publishers Association 2012 Book Achievement Award Interior Layout Silver Medal, The USA Book News 2012 Best Books 2012 Children’s Picture Book: Hardcover FictiFoninalist Finalist USA Book News,The USA Book News 2012 Best Books 2012 Best New Children’s Picture Book Finalist
Otter, the Spotted Frog & the Great Flood: The USA Book News 2013 Best Books 2013 Children’s Picture Book: Hardcover FictiFoninalist
Angels: USA Book News 2013 Best Books 2013 Children’s Novelty & Gift Book Finalist
Get to Know Wisdom Tales Press:
Why do you think reading to our kids is so important?
Reading to children is fundamentally important, not only for their education, but also as part of their growth as individuals. Books represent the possibility of bringing different cultures, perspectives and possibilities to young minds in a fun, safe and entertaining way. Through exposing our children to quality books, whether they are fiction or non-fiction, historical or present day, we offer them the opportunity to experience the entire world from the safety of their own home, and to spark their imagination in new and inviting ways.
2. What has been one of the biggest successes of 2013 for your company?
It would be easy to say that Wisdom Tales’ biggest successes of 2013 was receiving numerous book awards. However, another important success came through attending the National Council of Social Studies conference in St. Louis in November. During the two days of the conference, we spoke with hundreds of teachers, librarians and teacher-educators. It offered us a chance to engage with our audience in a meaningful and hands-on way. The praise and support that we received from the people we spoke to was overwhelming and encouraging. Our message of multiculturalism, respect and tolerance resonated with many of the attendees. It proved to us that the books that we produce mean as much to their readers as they do to us.
3. What do you look for in quality books to publish?
Wisdom Tales strives to produce exceptional books which will spark the imagination, encourage the development of good character, and help facilitate cross-cultural understanding and awareness. Our books reflect our commitment to help others appreciate the beauty and sacred ways of diverse cultures and traditions. We also try to be as respectful as possible to the artistic traditions of the various cultures we depict.
Once we have decided to publish a particular story, we have a creative team which spends many hours trying to match the best illustrator for each particular book. Most of us at Wisdom Tales have read hundreds, if not thousands, of children’s books; the process can be quite intuitive in some cases and more methodical in others. Since each book is unique, we spend a lot of time deciding on the illustrator, who can bring the book to life in the best possible way.
4. What would you like readers to know about your company?
We believe reading and learning can be fun, even when the moral and educational lessons for children are quite explicit. We will continue to publish beautiful, meaningful, multicultural children’s books and fairy tales which expose young children and teens to different people and cultures. We celebrate this diversity and believe children can learn about tolerance and respect at a young age.
5. What attracted you to the Multicultural Children’s Book Day event?
Multicultural Children’s Book Day really speaks to the heart of all that Wisdom Tales and its books represent. Created for the purpose of sharing the wisdom and beauty of cultures and people from around the world with young readers and their families, Wisdom Tales focuses on themes of tolerance, diversity, and cross-cultural understanding.
6. Anything else you’d like to add?
All of us at Wisdom Tales are committed to producing beautiful, compelling and qualitative books. Each of us believes deeply in our mission and we invite readers to experience our array of multicultural possibilities that embrace diversity. Exposing young children and teens to different cultures can expand their horizons and help foster understanding and tolerance.
Connect With Wisdom Tales Press:
Please check out this wonderful book from Platinum Sponsor Wisdom Tales Press and please Pin to Pinterest!
***Like JumpIntoaBook on Facebook
****Like PragmaticMom on Facebook
*****Follow our Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board
Pay a Visit to our Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review Bloggers!
These wonderful bloggers all stepped forward and offered to review multicultural children’s books for this event. Please stop by their blogs, review their reviews and say “thank you” for helping us making this event a huge success!
2GirlsLostInaBook · 365 Days of Motherhood · A Bilingual Baby · A Simple Life, Really? · Africa to America · After School Smarty Pants · All Done Monkey · Andi’s Kids Books · Anita Brown Bag · Austin Gilkeson · Barbara Ann Mojica · Books My Kids Read · Bottom Shelf Books · Cats Eat Dogs · Chasing The Donkey · Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac · Children’s Books Heal · Church o Books · CitizenBeta · Crafty Moms Share · Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes · Early Words · Flowering Minds · Franticmommy · Gathering Books · GEO Librarian · Gladys Barbieri · Going in Circles · Growing Book by Book · iGame Mom · I’m Not The Nanny · InCulture Parent · Itsy Bitsy Mom · Kid Lit Reviews-Kid World Citizen · Kristi’s Book Nook · Mama Lady Books · Mama Smiles · Mission Read · Mother Daughter Book Reviews · Mrs AOk · MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter · Ms. Yingling Reads · Multicultural Kids Blog · One Sweet World · Open Wide The World · P is for Preschooler · Rapenzel Dreams · School4Boys · Sharon the Librarian · Spanish Playground · Sprout’s Bookshelf · Squishable Baby · Stanley and Katrina · Teach Mama · The Art of Home Education · The Brain Lair · The Educators’ Spin On It · The Family-Ship Experience · The Yellow Door Paperie · This Kid Reviews Books · Trishap’s Books · Unconventional Librarian · Vicki Arnold · We3Three · World for Learning · Wrapped in Foil
The post Spotlight On A Sponsor: Wisdom Tales Press appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
January 23, 2014
Enter to Win a Full Set of Wisdom Tales Books!
In honor of our upcoming national event Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature, Platinum Sponsor Wisdom Tales Pres is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a full set of all Wisdom Tales books!
Yes, that’s right: You could win a full set of all Wisdom Tales books that are currently available! Here are the rules for this giveaway:
Family members of World Wisdom (or Wisdom Tales) employees will not be eligible to win.
Sorry, only entries from the United States can be accepted due to the high cost of shipping to other countries. No entries from other countries will be considered.
The open period for entering the raffle starts on Monday, January 20 at midnight, and runs through Sunday, January 26 at 11:59 pm.
For more details, visit Wisdom Tales Press giveaway page HERE.
Reminder!
Monday is our big Multicultural Children’s Book Day Celebration! Visit either Jump Into a Book or PragmaticMom to enjoy a HUGE Multicultural Children’s Book book review link up. If you are a blogger who has written a blog post or review about a multicultural children’s book, please feel free to link up with us. If you are a parent, educator, teacher or librarian looking for new multicultural children’s book titles to share with your little (or big) readers, I promise it will be the motherload of great multicultural book titles!
If you are just joining us on this exciting journey you can read more about the mission and importance of this event here. My fellow co-creator Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom would also like to say a huge “THANK YOU” to our MCCBD sponsors Wisdom Tales Press, Chronicle Books, Lee & Low Books, and Susan Daniel Fayad, author of My Grandfather’s Masbaha.
I always want to say thank you to the wonderful publishers and authors who donated multicultural books for our review bloggers:
Book donators: Author Margi Preus, Barefoot Books, Sleeping Bear Press, Arundel Publishing, author Renee Prewitt, The Magic Poof, Wisdom Tales Press, Chronicle Books, Lee & Low Books, and Susan Daniel Fayad, author of My Grandfather’s Masbaha.
Other Ideas to Celebrate MCCBD
Here are some ways you can help us celebrate Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Visit The Multicultural Children’s Book Day page at Jump Into a Book.
Visit our Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board for more reading ideas.
Have children bring in their favorite multicultural book to school on this day and share it with the class. If not today, some time in the near future.
Visit Multicultural Children’s Book Day sponsors Wisdom Tales Press, Chronicle Books, Lee & Low Books and author Susan Daniel Fayad to discover new books to read.
Check out the wonderful multicultural books and booklists on Jump Into a Book and PragmaticMom.
Create a Multicultural Children’s Book Day display around the classroom or library.
Have a conversation with your children, students or fellow educators as to what diversity in children’s literature really means. This event was create to raise awareness and start a dialogue.
GIVEAWAY!
What kind of celebration would this be is we didn’t have prizes? Barefoot Books publishes the most amazing, high-quality books and we want to give one lucky winner the chance to win a Barefoot Book Collection of books starting on Monday the 27th.
You can also visit these amazing MCCBD Book Bloggers for more great titles and book reviews.
2GirlsLostInaBook · 365 Days of Motherhood · A Bilingual Baby · A Simple Life, Really? · Africa to America · After School Smarty Pants · All Done Monkey · Andi’s Kids Books · Anita Brown Bag · Austin Gilkeson · Barbara Ann Mojica · Books My Kids Read · Bottom Shelf Books · Cats Eat Dogs · Chasing The Donkey · Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac · Children’s Books Heal · Church o Books · CitizenBeta · Crafty Moms Share · Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes · Early Words · Flowering Minds · Franticmommy · Gathering Books · GEO Librarian · Gladys Barbieri · Going in Circles · Growing Barefoot Bookworms · Growing Book by Book · iGame Mom · I’m Not The Nanny · InCulture Parent · Itsy Bitsy Mom · Just Children’s Books · Kids Yoga Stories · Kid Lit Reviews-Kid World Citizen · Kristi’s Book Nook · Mama Lady Books · Mama Smiles · Mission Read · Mother Daughter Book Reviews · Mrs AOk · MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter · Ms. Yingling Reads · Multicultural Kids Blog · My White Board · One Sweet World · Open Wide The World · P is for Preschooler · Rapenzel Dreams · School4Boys · Sharon the Librarian · Spanish Playground · Sprout’s Bookshelf · Squishable Baby · Stanley and Katrina · Teach Mama · The Art of Home Education · The Brain Lair · The Educators’ Spin On It · The Family-Ship Experience · The Good Long · Road The Yellow Door Paperie · This Kid Reviews Books · Trishap’s Books · Unconventional Librarian · Vicki Arnold · We3Three · World for Learning · Wrapped in Foil
The post Enter to Win a Full Set of Wisdom Tales Books! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
January 21, 2014
The Knight, the Princess and the Magic Rock
Today takes us on a journey into ancient Persia via a 1000 year-old tale. The Knight, the Princess, and the Magic Rock is beautifully retold by Sara Azizi. This Wisdom Tales Press story is adventurous and exciting as it unfolds into something that is much more than meets the eye. Rich with symbolism, this timeless tale will is a gateway to opening explorations about heroism, the king’s all-knowing cup, and the power of secret potions.
“Once upon a time in the enchanted land of Persia, a brave knight fell in love with a beautiful princess from an enemy land.”
When farmers of the Great King’s land come to the king expressing their concern over boars ravaging their land, the king sends one of his best knights, a man named Bijan, to their aid. On his journey home, he sees the beautiful Manijeh from a window it was love at first sight. There’s one little problem however, Manijeh is the princess of the enemy of Persia, and when her King discovers Bijan, she is banished from her home and kingdom, and he is thrown into a hole in an unknown place, covered by a magic rock that no one can lift. Though their future looks bleak, Manijeh stays with Bijan and searches for someone who can lift the rock.
In the meantime, the Persian King wonders where his knight is. When he learns of Bijan’s capture, he sends his best knight, Rostam, to save him. Is Rostam that powerful ? Will his brilliant plan work ? Will Bijan ever see Manijeh again ?
We’ll just have to travel to Persia via The Knight, The Princess and the Magic Rock. I know you’re going to enjoy this really wonderful book.
Background: The Knight, the Princess & the Magic Rock was written about 1000 AD by the Persian poet Ferdowsi. It is one of the stories in a collection called Shahnameh or “Book of Kings”. This very famous work is composed of 60,000 verses and is the national epic poem of Persia. Along with the story we’re sharing here, the “Book of Kings” tells the mythical past of Iran from the creation of the world until the Islamic empire in the 7th century.
Something To Do:
We wanted to explore the idea of Magic Rocks for ourselves. Instead of one big magic rock, we focused our skills on smaller ones by making story stones.
What you’ll need:
Little rocks. If you can’t find enough for this activity you can find them at any craft store in the florist section.
Permanent Markers like Sharpies or Bic markers
We decorated rocks by spelling out the names of the various characters in the book.
We also drew a variety of pictures and symbols on stones.
Find a favorite storytelling place with a flat surface or bring your own flat surface. Read the story to your children and have them move the stones forward to tell that part of the story. After telling the story a few time. Take the story stones and see if you child can retell the story using them. The third part of our story stone adventure has to do with letting them tell their very own made up story using the stones.
Here’s a very wonderful coloring page.
Get your copy of this delightful book here. Happy Reading and Enjoy !!
Don’t forget that Multicultural Children’s Book Day is coming on January 27th! This day will be a day to celebrate diversity in children’s literature and we will be offering a huge blogger link-up to share multicultural book reviews and activities and also giveaways. You can learn more about this event here, or visit PragmaticMom and JumpIntoaBook on the 27th to enjoy the festivities!
If you can’t wait to discover new multicultural books to read….you can visit our MCCBD bloggers!
2GirlsLostInaBook · 365 Days of Motherhood · A Bilingual Baby · A Simple Life, Really? · Africa to America · After School Smarty Pants · All Done Monkey · Andi’s Kids Books · Anita Brown Bag · Austin Gilkeson · Barbara Ann Mojica · Books My Kids Read · Bottom Shelf Books · Cats Eat Dogs · Chasing The Donkey · Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac · Children’s Books Heal · Church o Books · CitizenBeta · Crafty Moms Share · Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes · Early Words · Flowering Minds · Franticmommy · Gathering Books · GEO Librarian · Gladys Barbieri · Going in Circles · Growing Book by Book · iGame Mom · I’m Not The Nanny · InCulture Parent · Itsy Bitsy Mom · Just Kids Books- Kid World Citizen · Kristi’s Book Nook · Mama Lady Books · Mama Smiles · Mission Read · Mother Daughter Book Reviews · Mrs AOk · MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter · Ms. Yingling Reads · Multicultural Kids Blog · One Sweet World · Open Wide The World · P is for Preschooler · Rapenzel Dreams · School4Boys · Sharon the Librarian · Spanish Playground · Sprout’s Bookshelf · Squishable Baby · Stanley and Katrina · Teach Mama · The Art of Home Education · The Brain Lair · The Educators’ Spin On It · The Family-Ship Experience · The Yellow Door Paperie · This Kid Reviews Books · Trishap’s Books · Unconventional Librarian · Vicki Arnold · We3Three · World for Learning · Wrapped in Foil
The post The Knight, the Princess and the Magic Rock appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
January 19, 2014
Spotlight on a Sponsor: Chronicle Books
Greeting book lovers!
As you know Jump Into a Book along with Pragmatic Mom has been busily working on our upcoming national event Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. We want to change that. Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these types of books into classrooms and libraries.
To achieve this, on January 27th, Jump into a Book and Pragmatic Mom will be organizing and presenting this first-ever event to celebrate diversity in children’s literature. We have several wonderful sponsors (Wisdom Tales Press, Chronicle Books and LEE and Low Books) along with generous publishers and authors who have all agreed to donate books to be reviewed in honor of this event. One of our cherished sponsors is Chronicle Books. Here’s a little info to help you get to know them better.
Welcome Chronicle Books!
One of the most admired and respected publishing companies in the U.S., Chronicle Books was founded in 1967 and over the years has developed a reputation for award-winning, innovative books. Recognized as one of the 50 best small companies to work for in the U.S. (and the only independent publisher to receive this award), the company continues to challenge conventional publishing wisdom, setting trends in both subject and format, maintaining a list that includes illustrated titles in design, art, architecture, photography, food, lifestyle and pop culture, as well as much-admired books for children and ancillary products through its gift division. Chronicle Books’ objective is to create and distribute exceptional publishing that’s instantly recognizable for its spirit, creativity, and value. For more information about Chronicle Books, visit www.chroniclekids.com
Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson
List any awards:
«“Baker’s entire life spreads out in this tapestry of words.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review
« “An extraordinary dancer and woman is here celebrated with style and empathy.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“This liberally illustrated biography of Josephine Baker captures a remarkable, courageous woman whose life and art were inseparable.”–Shelf Awareness
“Factual and yet poetic… defies convention as boldly as its subject did.”- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Getting to know Chronicle Books
1. Why do you think reading to our kids is so important?
There are so many benefits to reading with kids. It helps them become curious and confident readers, opens their world to images and ideas beyond their imaginations, and creates a cozy, warm sacred space to connect with their favorite grown-ups.
2. What has been one of the biggest successes of 2013 for your company?
We’ve been fortunate to have three books on the New York Times Picture Book Bestseller list for the majority of 2013: Press Here, Steam Train, Dream Train, and Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. As well as a reappearance of the Ivy and Bean series on the New York Times Children’s Series List. Our picture book biography of Albert Einstein earned six starred reviews, the most of any of the books in our 25-year history.
3. What do you look for in quality books to publish?
Chronicle is known for our exceptional and distinctive design sense. We look to acquire books that can furfure that mission, including in our growing Middle Grade and Young Adult list. And as always, exceptional writing and a distinctive point of view.
4. What would you like readers to know about your company?
We are one of the few that accept unsolicited manuscripts, and have found several wonderful projects in what is commonly known as the “slush pile.” Our Children’s Pub Group includes editorial, production, marketing and publicity and each department has input on the acquisition of new books and projects. Our Young Adult and Middle Grade list is growing and we’re exciting to have our biggest and strongest novel list ever in 2014.
5. What attracted you to the Multicultural Children’s Book Day event?
We’re very proud of the multi-cultural publishing on our list, and thrilled to have the opportunity to share the exceptional Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker with an online community of readers, teachers, librarians, bloggers and parents who we think will be as excited by it as well are.
Twitter: @ChronicleKids
MCCBD NOTES
***Like JumpIntoaBook on Facebook
****Like PragmaticMom on Facebook
*****Follow our Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board
Stop and Visit our Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review Bloggers!
Please take a moment and visit our MCCBD book review bloggers. These wonderful people all came forward and volunteered to review books for this event, and many are reviewing books from Chronicle Books. Take a moment to visit, read their reviews and tell them “thank you” for helping to make this event a huge success!
2GirlsLostInaBook · 365 Days of Motherhood · A Bilingual Baby · A Simple Life, Really? · Africa to America · After School Smarty Pants · All Done Monkey · Andi’s Kids Books · Anita Brown Bag · Austin Gilkeson · Barbara Ann Mojica · Books My Kids Read · Bottom Shelf Books · Cats Eat Dogs · Chasing The Donkey · Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac · Children’s Books Heal · Church o Books · CitizenBeta · Crafty Moms Share · Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes · Early Words · Flowering Minds · Franticmommy · Gathering Books · GEO Librarian · Gladys Barbieri · Going in Circles · Growing Book by Book · iGame Mom · I’m Not The Nanny · InCulture Parent · Itsy Bitsy Mom · Kid World Citizen · Kristi’s Book Nook · Mama Lady Books · Mama Smiles · Mission Read · Mother Daughter Book Reviews · Mrs AOk · MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter · Ms. Yingling Reads · Multicultural Kids Blog · One Sweet World · Open Wide The World · P is for Preschooler · Rapenzel Dreams · School4Boys · Sharon the Librarian · Spanish Playground · Sprout’s Bookshelf · Squishable Baby · Stanley and Katrina · Teach Mama · The Art of Home Education · The Brain Lair · The Educators’ Spin On It · The Family-Ship Experience · The Yellow Door Paperie · This Kid Reviews Books · Trishap’s Books · Unconventional Librarian · Vicki Arnold · We3Three · World for Learning · Wrapped in Foil
The post Spotlight on a Sponsor: Chronicle Books appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
