Last weekend, I attended the Kindling Words conference, which was an amazing weekend spent with distinguished children's book authors, illustrators, and editors. Not only did I learn a lot about the publishing trade, but I got to meet a whole slew of great people, and I got to talk to a bunch of them about multicultural books. Even better, the issue of multiculturalism in children's literature came up on the last day, and we had an insightful and productive discussion about how we can make the future of children's books more multicultural. This discussion was led by author Christine Taylor-Butler, who I caught afterward to ask the question: What is your one wish for the future of multicultural children's books?



More about Christine Taylor-Butler:
Christine's web site
Christine on Twitter

Christine Taylor-Butler is the author of more than 40 children's books, including:
Sacred Mountain Everest
No Boys Allowed
A Mom Like No Other
Thurgood Marshall
Booker T. Washington
A Home in the Rainforest
Earth
(see all of Christine's books here)

A public service announcement from the great folks at Mixed Roots:

"The largest west coast Loving Day celebration kicks off the 3rd Annual Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival on June 12, 2010.  The Festival celebrates storytelling of the Mixed racial and cultural experience and brings together innovative artists, film and book lovers, and families for two days of writing and film workshops, readings, film screenings, a special family event and live performance by talented comedians, musicians and actors.  All events are free and open to the public.

"WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING FILM, LITERARY, LIVE PERFORMANCE, AND WORKSHOP SUBMISSIONS. For submission requirements and more information, visit: www.mxroots.org"

I was thrilled to receive a sweet note from Eileen Spinelli. I've been friends with her for a few years now, and sent her a copy of The Falling Flowers when it first came out. She and husband Jerry used my book as an entry in their new book, Today I Will, published by Alfred A. Knopf. It's a book about a year of quotes, notes and promises to myself... Anyway- looks like a great book- have it on order. :) And, it's always awesome to be part of something so special!

In which Renee leads a workshop for tutors at 826LA on using multicultural books to inspire kids to write.



Books shown in the video:
Afghan Dreams: Young Voices From Afghanistan by Tony O'Brien and Michael P. Sullivan
How My Family Lives in America by Susan Kuklin
Just Like Home; Como En Mi Tierra by Elizabeth I. Miller, Mira Reisberg, Teresa Mlawer
Hannah Is My Name by Belle Yang
You And Me Together: Moms, Dads, and Kids Around the World by Barbara Kerley
Cooper's Lesson by Kim Cogan, Min Paek, Sun Yung Shin
Romina's Rangoli by Jennifer Wanardi, Malathi and Michelle Iyengar
My Name Is Yoon by Gabriela Swiatkowska, Helen Recorvits
The Candy Shop by Jan Wahl, Nicole E. Wong
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
My Mexico by Tony Johnston

Wow! What an honor! Both volumes of Chinese History Stories have been chosen for the Notable Social Studies Trade Books list for 2010. About the honor:

The books that appear in these annotated book lists were evaluated and selected by a Book Review Committee appointed by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and assembled in cooperation with the Children's Book Council (CBC). NCSS and CBC have cooperated on this annual bibliography since 1972.

Books selected for this bibliography are written primarily for children in grades K-8. The selection committee looks for books that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, and have a pleasing format and, when appropriate, illustrations that enrich the text. Each book is read by several reviewers, and books are included on the list by committee assent.

Debbi Michiko Florence talks about what she loved most writing her two non-fiction titles, China and Japan.



More about Debbi Michiko Florence's books:

China
Children can dig in with hands, feet and mind to 4,000 years of this country's history, traditions and culture. Through photos, illustrations, diagrams, interviews and activities children will gain a deeper understanding of China and its people.

Japan
A hands-on, interactive guide to the culture, history, people, and traditions of Japan. Children will:

• learn how to write and speak some Japanese words
• explore fascinating places like Mount Fuji and Tokyo
• learn how to fold origami and how to use chopsticks
• discover what schools in Japan are like

More than 40 activities, modern photographs, diagrams, and humorous art bring this fascinating country to life.

And for those wondering which bubble tea shop I like best: Fantasia Tea Cafe.

Find out more:

Let Me Help by Alma Flor Ada and Angela Dominguez
Sharing Our Homeland by Trish Marx and Cindy Karp

Children's Book Press
Lee & Low Books

Oh, it's coming up really fast-- in just over a week, I'll be heading to the Asilomar Conference Center for the Santa Clara County Reading Association's annual conference. We'll have a table and will be selling books, so stop by, say hello, and check out our newest publications! See you there!

Cora Cooks Pancit, by Dorina Lazo Gilmore and illustrated by Kristi Valiant, was reviewed in the Winter 2009 edition of Multicultural Review:

Cora is the youngest child in a Filipino-American family. She longs to do things her older brother and three older sisters do. One day when her older siblings are all gone, she sees her chance. This is the day she helps her mother make pancit, a chicken, vegetable, noodle dish. As Mother and Cora cook together, Mother tells stories of Lolo, Cora's grandfather, who migrated from the Philippines to California. The pancit is served for the evening meal with five children, Mother, and Father all enjoying this special dish. As Cora observes the dinnertime scene, she replaces the doubt she had about her contributions with pride in her work.

Both story and illustrations capture the frustration of being the youngest, while it celebrates a close family with a loving and understanding mother. And the story not only tells of the immigrant experience, it provides the very pleasant way of experiencing culture through oral family stories and food. A glossary reviews the Tagalog words used, and the recipe for pancit is on the final page.

Happy New Year! Yes, I took two weeks off from making videos at the end of the year, but now I'm excited about the new year and ready to talk about multicultural books!

This week's video features a book called Minutka: The Bilingual Dog by Anna Mycek-Wodecki. It sparked my imagination about bilingual pets and bilingual texts. Take a look.