Multicultural Children's Book Day

by Michelle Cooper, Digital Learning Specialist, Region 7 ESC

Multicultural Children's Book Day (MCBD) was established in 2012 to celebrate diversity in children’s books. Co-founders, Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen, share a mission to not only raise awareness for children’s books that celebrate diversity but to get more of these books into classrooms and libraries. The celebration this year will be held on January 31st, and the MCBD is providing a wealth of FREE resources for educators, parents, and librarians. All the resources can be accessed on the MCBD website.

Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit:

• book recommendations that will help Readers Understand Physical and Developmental Challenges for ages 4 -12.
• Classroom or Home Activities
• “Physical and Developmental Challenges” Classroom Poster thanks to the talents of award-winning illustrator, SKlakina
• HelpfulPhysical and Developmental Challenge Talking Points for Teachers
• Links, resources and services that are available to families facing the challenges of coping with Physical and Developmental Challenges in the U.S.A.

Check out the highly talented list of children’s book advocates, writers, and bloggers who were chosen to serve as co-hosts and global co-hosts for this event because of their dedication to supporting diversity in children’s literature. These CoHosts and Global CoHost’s sites will also host the wildly-popular book review/blog post-link-up that occurs during the last week in January.

It’s a Twitter party, and you are invited! Join in the fun Friday, January 31st by using the hashtag #ReadYourWorld. MCBD will have tons of multicultural children’s books and swag to give away.

Maya Angelou once shared, “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.”  Take some time on January 31st to #ReadYourWorld!