Finding books that reflect countries and religions that are different from your home language at times can be a challenge. Have you considered purchasing a picture book about another country or perhaps another religion for your child?
I remember on my first trip to India all I wanted to do was purchase a few story books to bring back to my students that were based in India or even a traditional Indian story. I searched high and low through quite a few markets and never found them. I was so disappointed. Not only for me but for the publishers who weren’t willing to publish books that reflected an entire nation that I didn’t see in the books I was picking up and this was in the central markets of New Dehli one of the biggest cities in the world.
When I look at the bookshelves in stores here it’s hard to also find books that reflect various cultures and I’m sure you are concerned about this for your own child too. It’s important that traditional books our children are asked to read at school reflect diversity in the illustrations and text to reflect the modern world.
This post contains affiliate links
This month we’re participating in Multicultural Children’s Book Day on January 27th! TODAY! Wisdom Tales Press sent me a book to review for this special day that shared diversity. The book is called The Dreidel that Wouldn’t Spin: A Toyshop Tale of Hanukkah
by award-winning author Martha Seif Simpson illustrated by Durga Yael Bernahard.
In true holiday spirit this book shares with us what how important it is to find the true meaning of Hanukkah and I venture to say it reflects to other holiday spirits as well. As we hurry along in holiday expectations including a visit to a toy store it’s important to stop and reflect on the true spirit. This is a beautiful holiday story about the joy and happiness of Hanukkah through the eyes of a toy store owner and one special dreidel.
I love the expressions on the toy’s faces as the toy shop owner reacts to two children who insist on owning it only to discover it wouldn’t work for them. The vibrant colors on the dreidel make me want to try to spin it to see if I know the true spirit of Hanakkah which one special boy at the end discovers.
The author includes a useful appendix that explains the meaning of Hanukkah as well as directions on how to play the dreidel game. Perfect for families wanting to add diversity to their own bookshelves and toy shelves too. Would be fun to host a playdate and provide all the guest to take home their own dreidel or even at a lesson at school. I found a few on Amazon that seem reasonable below.
The Dreidel Game! Colored Plastic Dreidels, Medium, 10 Pack (Instructions Included)
Book Extensions
We extended the book by creating our own watercolor dreidels that were inspired by the beautiful illustrations in the book and the featured coloring page below.
- Video of Sesame Street Playing Dreidel
- Dreidel song by the Imagination Station
- Dreidel Song by Shir Soul Singers (acappella group)
- Video of How to Play Dreidel & Tutorial
- Micky Mouse Dreidel Printable
- Pinterest Boards with Dreidel Ideas
- Shalom Sesame Shalom Sesame is a cross-platform media initiative developed to introduce American children to Jewish culture, Hebrew language and the diversity of Israel.
Image source Wisdom Tales
Click here for Additional Resources for the Book for Wisdom Tales
- Activity Guide
- Crossword Puzzle
- Coloring Sheet
- Video Book Trailer
Resources for Multicultural Books on The Educators’ Spin On It
- Books About India
- Books About Japan
- Books About Russia
- Books for Raising Global Kids
- Diverse Books in your Home
- Celebrating Diversity in Children’s Literature
- Finding Something Special About You in a Book
Multicultural Children’s Book Day shares a terrific list of Diversity Book List for Kids
#ReadYourWorld Twitter Party
The Twitter Party! Join us for Multicultural Children’s Book Day Twitter Party on Jan 27th 9:00pm EST. Use hashtag:#ReadYourWorld to win 10 book packages! This Twitter Party is hosted by Co-Founders Mia Wenjen (@Pragmaticmom) and Valarie Budayr (@JumpIntoaBook1). You can review the Twitter Party Prizes on the MCCBD blog here.
Co-hosts for Multicultural Children’s Book Day include: Africa to America, All Done Monkey, The Educators’ Spin on It, Growing Book by Book, InCultural Parent, Kid World Citizen, Mama Smiles, Multicultural Kid Blogs, and Sprout’s Bookshelf.
The Multicultural Children’s Book Day team hopes to spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of diversity in children’s literature. Our young readers need to see themselves within the pages of a book and experience cultures, languages, traditions, and religions within the pages of a book. We encourage readers, parents, teachers, caregivers, and librarians to follow along via book reviews, author visits, multicultural booklist, and visit the huge multicultural book review link-up
{Click here} to check out 100+ Activities featuring Books with Diversity!
Sponsors of Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Sponsors are:
Platinum Sponsors: Wisdom Tales Press, Daybreak Press Global Bookshop
Gold Sponsors: Satya House, MulticulturalKids.com, Author Stephen Hodges and the Magic Poof
Silver Sponsors: Junior Library Guild, Capstone Publishing, Lee and Low Books, The Omnibus Publishing.
Bronze Sponsors: Double Dutch Dolls, Bliss Group Books, Snuggle with Picture Books Publishing, Rainbow Books, Author FeliciaCapers, Chronicle Books, Muslim Writers Publishing, East West Discovery Press.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day is also partnering with First Book to offer a Virtual Book Drive that will help donate multicultural children’s books through their channels during the week of the event. We want to help get diversity books into the hands of kids who most need it and now we have a way to do it! The Virtual Book Drive is LIVE and can be found HERE.
They are also collaborating with Children’s Book Council to highlight wonderful diversity books and authors on an ongoing basis all year.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day Mission
Multicultural Children’s Book Day mission is 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.
Mission: 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. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Mia and Valarie are on a mission to change all of that. Their 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. Another goal of this exciting event is create a compilation of books and favorite reads that will provide not only a new reading list for the winter, but also a way to expose brilliant books to families, teachers, and libraries.
I love all your resources – this looks like such a fun book! Thanks for sharing on the MCBD linky!
What a wonderful resource! I didn't know this was today, but I just so happened to write a post today (to publish tomorrow) about the need for diverse books– especially those that depict protagonists of color in everyday life. Check it out (tomorrow, ha!)