Book Review: Meet Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi, Hatem Aly

Meet Yasmin is an early chapter book written by Saadia Faruqi, and illustrated by Hatem Aly. Yasmin Ahmad is a spirited second-grader who's always on the lookout for those "aha" moments to help her solve life's little problems. Taking inspiration from her surroundings and her big imagination, she boldly faces any situation, assuming her imagination doesn't get too big, of course! A creative thinker and curious explorer, Yasmin and her multi-generational Pakistani American family will delight and inspire readers.

Meet Yasmin is a sweet early chapter book about a young girl exploring her world, trying new things, and trying to decide what she wants to do. She tries out being an explorer, a painter, and a fashionista and learns something about herself and the task at hand each time. I loved the bold and bright illustrations, that add details to the story. I really love that the story is just about a kid exploring the world, and other kids or all ages, genders, and backgrounds can find something of themselves in the story. I find it important that Yasmin is Pakistani American, and some young readers that might never have seen someone like themselves in print can see themselves mirrored in the book, and those they might be being taught nationalism or racism at home can see how much kids are alike regardless of culture and background. We all just want to find and do things we enjoy, like Yasmin. I think it is also important and helpful to unfamiliar readers that the backmatter includes a section on learning Urdu, facts about Pakistan, a recipe for lassi, and instructions for making a flower motif bookmark. It just might help young readers take the next step and research even more about the Pakistani culture and hopefully other people and cultures as well.

Meet Yasmin is a wonderful transitional chapter book, with charm and humor that a wide range of readers will enjoy. I am hoping for more books like this in the near future. 

Book Review: Siuluk: The Last Tuniq by Nadia Sammurtok, Rob Nix

Siuluk: The Last Tuniq is a picturebook based on on traditional stories from the Chesterfield Inlet area of the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, this tale of Siuluk and his legendary strength will captivate young readers.. It was written by Nadia Sammurtok and illustrated by Rob Nix. Siuluk is a very strong man. He’s so strong that people tell him he must be the last of the Tuniit, friendly giants who once lived in the North. Just like those giants, Siuluk is so strong that he can carry an entire walrus over his shoulder. But not everyone believes that Siuluk is strong. One day, when a group of men tease Siuluk about his size, he has to find a way to prove his strength once and for all—but how? 

Siuluk: The Last Tuniq is a beautifully illustrated tale, and I was glad to learn a story that I had not heard or read previously. I am a big fan of learning about different people, places, and cultures. This story is one that should be relateable to readers of all cultures and ages. I think everyone has felt lonely, outcast, or different. Siuluk is especially so since people either respect him or mock and doubt him because of the stories told about him. I like the additional information about the legend included, but I would have liked more information about the area and culture. I was intrigued enough to go off an do some of my own research, which will hopefully be the case for other readers as well. I think even beyond the legends, I love that the empathy and acceptance of other people, those that are different, is the underlying theme of the story. I think we all need those muscles stretched and strong because there are way too many cases of people not being able to use them.

Book Review: The Jasmine Sneeze by Nadine Kaadan

The Jasmine Sneeze is a picturebook written and illustrated by Nadine Kaadan. Haroun, the cat, likes nothing better than to spend his days sleeping in the sunlit courtyards of Damascus. But one thing always ruins his sleep; jasmine! Haroun can’t stand the sweet-scented flowers. Their pollen sends him into fits of sneezes! So one day, Haroun hatches a plan to fix the problem. But little does he know that in doing so he deeply angers the Jasmine Spirit who plans her revenge in her own crafty and hilarious way.

The Jasmine Sneeze is a story that gives a small insight into the culture of Damascus, at least in relation to jasmine. In lovely illustrations, reader see the silly cat Haroun suffer through the sneezing fits near the jasmine. He hatches a plot to stop the scent of jasmine from making him sneeze- but as expected in a fable from any culture, things do not go as planned. His efforts anger the spirit of the jasmine and suffers the consequences, at least until he makes it right. I love that the author of the work wrote about her own culture. I like that a little more of the culture of Syria was given at the end of the book. My only problem was that I wanted a even more of the folklore and culture. However, the illustrations were wonderful, and I did enjoy the little glimpse that we got. 

Book Review: Violet by Tania Duprey Stehlik, Vanja Vuleta Jovanic

Violet is a picturebook written by Tania Duprey Stehlik and illustrated by Vanja Vuleta Jovanic. Violet is happy that her father has come to pick her up after her first day at a new school. But as she races over to meet him, one of the other kids asks, How come your Dad is blue and you're not?" Violet has never even thought about this before. Her mother is red, and her father is blue -- so why isn't she red or blue? Why is she purple? Upset and confused, Violet goes to her mother. Using paints, her mother shows her that when you combine red and blue, you get violet! Like many people in the world, Violet is a beautiful mix of colors. But color isn't really that important. After all, it is what's inside us that counts.

Violet is a delightful picturebook that explores race and being different. Violet is different, her mom is red and her father is blue- but she she is violet. She is worried about being different and faces questions from classmates. I liked how her mom calmly and simply explained, and the author is able to express the idea that people are people. It is not color (or race, religion, ability, or anything else) that define us- it is what is inside us that makes us who we are. The illustrations are wonderfully colorful and quirky, making the story more endearing. I really enjoyed the book and think it is an important one. This could be a great tool for families and classrooms, in fact I think everyone should read books like this- because understanding each other how simple the solution (if only everyone could live it) is important for us all. But most importantly, everyone should be able to see themselves in the books they read, and this gives so many children a chance to see themselves (and their families) in print.

Book Review: Light Love Rituals: Bulgarian Myths, Legends, and Folklore by Ronesa Aveela

Light Love Rituals: Bulgarian Myths, Legends, and Folklore by Ronesa Aveela is a book that explores Bulgarian myths, legends, folklore, and mythology. Whether you want to learn a little about their ancient Thracian origins, or you want to experience rituals practiced throughout the year with a fictitious Bulgarian family, or even if you’re only interested in traditional Bulgarian cuisine, this book has a little something for everyone.

Light Love Rituals: Bulgarian Myths, Legends, and Folklore was a very interesting read. I love learning about legends and cultures that are new to me, or are slightly different than what I had previously explored. Bulgarian culture is rich in folklore and traditions surviving since the days of the ancient Thracians. As pagan and Christian religions collided, many celebrations merged into one. This book helps readers discover and explore the details of these unique festivals while keeping it interesting for readers of all ages. The book is divided into sections for each of the four seasons with activities and a short quiz for each. It was an interesting and engaging read that would appeal to many.

Light Love Rituals: Bulgarian Myths, Legends, and Folklore is a solid reference and research source for those interested in different cultures, particularly the development of Bulgarian rituals and recipes. 

Book Review: Lafcadio Hearn's "The Faceless Ghost" and Other Macabre Tales from Japan by Sean Michael Wilson

Lafcadio Hearn's The Faceless Ghost and Other Macabre Tales from Japan is a collection of six of traditional Japanese ghost stories told in graphic novel format by Sean Michael Wilson. All of them are very well known in Japan, where ghosts and demons are often called yokai, meaning "the mysterious and weird." Today these stories find expression mostly in movies and manga, but they remain rooted in the traditional ghost stories of the Edo era known as kaidan, which means "recited narrative of strange, mysterious, rare, or bewitching apparitions." The book includes an afterword by William Scott Wilson, the esteemed translator and editor of Japanese texts and samurai philosophy, who puts the stories into historical context.

Lafcadio Hearn's The Faceless Ghost and Other Macabre Tales from Japan is a good look at some of the traditional stories from Japan. I love learning about the folklore and legends from different parts of the world, and while two of the stories seemed vaguely familiar to me, the complete stories were new to me. I found it fascinating that despite the fact that these are ancient legends from the other side of the world, some ideas are consistent with the urban legends of my own region. I think it is important for readers to see that despite our differences and distance some parts of human existence is shared without ever having crossed paths. The black and white artwork was very well done and captured the emotion and atmosphere of the stories. The collection was a solid read, and while it did not keep me up at night, it certainly had a creepy vibe that stayed with me for a while.

Lafcadio Hearn's The Faceless Ghost and Other Macabre Tales from Japan is an interesting and entertaining collection of traditional Japanese ghost stories. I would recommend it to young adults and adults that enjoy ghost stories and legends, particularly those from other cultures. 

Early Book Review: I Remember Beirut by Zeinia Abirached

I Remember Beirut is a graphic novel by Zeinia Abirached that is currently scheduled for release on August 1 2014.Zeina Abirached grew up in Beirut in the 1980s as fighting between Christians and Muslims divided the city streets. Abirached recalls the details of ordinary life inside a war zone with a combination of stark reality and simple innocence.

I Remember Beirut has simple but striking black and white images that do a wonderful job of telling the story of everyday life. as a child we often see more than adults expect us too, and still miss vital bits of information until we look back at our childhood from a safe distance. Abirached show readers what it can be like living in a war zone, a situation far too many children have had to deal with throughout history, and are still dealing with today. the juxtaposition of what she saw and thought as a child with the full picture that see has of events today make everything come to life and really let readers understand where she is coming from and what others are still struggling with in a variety of locals today. 

I would highly recommend I Remember Beirut to readers that want to dive in and understand what it was like to live in Beirut in the 1980's and beyond. it will go a long way to show readers just how lucky they may be, and that even though situations and locations may be very different, we are all the same at heart. For another, more detailed look at life during war and Abirached's family and experiences, I would also recommend A Game for Swallows to Die, to Leave, to Return.

It's Multicultural Children’s Book Day!

Happy Multicultural Children’s Book Day!
Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature 

Children’s reading and play advocates Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book and Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom teamed up to create an ambitious (and much needed) national event.  On January 27th, Jump into a Book and Pragmatic Mom will be presenting the first ever Multicultural Children’s Book Day as a way of celebrating diversity in children’s books.For more information on the day please explore the website for the day here.

For my part in this wonderful event I offer my review of Diego's Dragon, Book One: Spirits of the Sun by Kevin Gerard and Jennifer Fong, which I received from Crying Cougar Press.
The book is an urban fantasy for middle grade and young adult readers written by Kevin Gerard and illustrated by Jennifer Fong. Eleven-year-old Diego Ramirez wins a district-wide writing contest for sixth graders. When an author visits his school to award his prize, Diego Ramirez has no idea how much his life is about to change. Author Nathan Sullivan visits his school and hands Diego his prize; a handsome, glistening black dragon statue, and shakes his hand and leaves him to his friends. After hearing the name Magnifico spoken aloud by family and friends and some unusual happenings, Diego gives the name to his new dragon. He did not know just how fitting the name was. Magnifico is the leader of the Sol Dragones, dragons that live within the magical fires of the sun. Nathan Sullivan is the earth's connection to the mysterious creatures and it was his task to find Magnifico's guide. As Magnifico comes to life he becomes quite mischievous, playing tricks on Diego to embarrass him while helping him discover his destiny. In a climactic journey, Diego frees his people and suffers a terrible loss by guiding Magnifico to their goal.
See my full review of the book here.

The 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.


Our Wonderful Sponsors!
Wisdom Tales Press:
Wisdom Tales Press is a children’s book imprint of World Wisdom for the purpose of sharing the wisdom and beauty of cultures around the world with young readers and their families. Visit Wisdom Tales Books.





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


Lee & Low Books:
An award-winning children’s book publisher focusing on diversity. Our books are about everyone, for everyone. LEE & LOW BOOKS is a children’s book publisher focusing on diversity. Our award-winning multicultural books are about everyone, for everyone. Our goal is to meet the need for stories that all children can identify with and enjoy. We publish picture books, middle grade, and YA titles, including bilingual books under our CBP imprint and science fiction and fantasy under our Tu Books imprint.

Author Susan Fayad
Susan Daniel Fayad, author of My Grandfather’s Masbaha was written as a tribute to her father to honor him in the eyes of her children. Fayad wrote the book to highlight Lebanese culture while emphasizing a universal theme of appreciation and counting your blessings. You can connect with Susan on Twitter (@grandadmasbaha ) or Facebook.

Book Review: Diego's Dragon, Book One: Spirits of the Sun by Kevin Gerard and Jennifer Fong

I am glad to be able to post this review thanks to Crying Cougar Press and in conjunction with  Multicultural Children's Book Day!

Children’s reading and play advocates Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book and Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom teamed up to create an ambitious (and much needed) national event. On January 27th, Jump into a Book and Pragmatic Mom will be presenting the first ever Multicultural Children’s Book Day as a way of celebrating diversity in children’s books.For more information on the day please explore the website for the day here.

Diego's Dragon, Book One: Spirits of the Sun is an urban fantasy for middle grade and young adult readers written by Kevin Gerard and illustrated by Jennifer Fong. Eleven-year-old Diego Ramirez wins a district-wide writing contest for sixth graders. When an author visits his school to award his prize, Diego Ramirez has no idea how much his life is about to change. Author Nathan Sullivan visits his school and hands Diego his prize; a black dragon statue, shakes his hand and leaves him to his friends. After hearing the name Magnifico spoken aloud by family and friends, Diego gives the name to his new dragon. He did not know just how fitting the name was. Magnifico is the leader of the Sol Dragones, dragons that live within the magical fires of the sun. Nathan Sullivan is the earth's connection to the mysterious creatures and it was his task to find Magnifico's guide. As Magnifico comes to life he plays tricks on Diego to embarrass him while helping him discover his destiny. In a climactic journey, Diego frees his people and suffers a terrible loss by guiding Magnifico to their goal.

Diego's Dragon has a great concept, and for the most part a great execution. Diego is a great character and very true to life. He has the problems of all twelve-year-olds, looking to find his place at home and in school as he faces an age of transition. He has a brother facing difficulties, but supportive parents, and a loving extended family. His friends and the girl he has a crush on play their parts perfectly, but they never seem to be stock characters. I particularly like that the climax of the story does not play out the way I expected, which is always a nice surprise.  I only had a couple small things that cause me not to give this book a full five stars. The first few scenes jumped around in time order a little, I understand the reasons or doing this and sometimes it works, but for some reason I just did not like it here.

My only other distraction while reading has to do with one of the major things I loved about the book. It was wonderful seeing a Latino main character, which is shockingly uncommon in fantasy literature even today. I know a bit of conversational Spanish, mainly from life experience and children's television, however I am far from fluent. I also have a bit of Italian and tons of Latin under my belt, and for the most part I knew the words, particularly from context- but every so often I did not know what a word meant. Thankfully this never happened when the exact translation was plot important, but I was occasionally distracted by my own lacking. It just encouraged me to do a little more work on my language skills, because I definitely want to read the next two books in the series.

I would recommend Diego's Dragon to every reader that likes fantasy, adventure, coming of age stories, and dragons. Do not be discouraged by my language barrier- even with my fallibilities I highly enjoyed the story and do not think I missed anything important. The story is exciting and something new and different that will appeal to many readers. Reluctant readers and avid fantasy readers alike should be able to enjoy the story.

Just

For more information on the series check out the website: http://www.diegosdragon.com/

MCCBD Sponsors!

Wisdom Tales Press:

Wisdom Tales Press is a children’s book imprint of World Wisdom for the purpose of sharing the wisdom and beauty of cultures around the world with young readers and their families. Visit Wisdom Tales Books.

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

Lee & Low Books:

An award-winning children’s book publisher focusing on diversity. Our books are about everyone, for everyone. LEE & LOW BOOKS is a children’s book publisher focusing on diversity. Our award-winning multicultural books are about everyone, for everyone. Our goal is to meet the need for stories that all children can identify with and enjoy. We publish picture books, middle grade, and YA titles, including bilingual books under our CBP imprint and science fiction and fantasy under our Tu Books imprint.

Author Susan Fayad
Susan Daniel Fayad, author of My Grandfather’s Masbaha was written as a tribute to her father to honor him in the eyes of her children. Fayad wrote the book to highlight Lebanese culture while emphasizing a universal theme of appreciation and counting your blessings. You can connect with Susan on Twitter (@grandadmasbaha ) or Facebook.