Multicultural Children’s Book Day may have passed (January 27, 2016), however the importance of MCCBD’s mission is evergreen: Our 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.

The team at MCCBD has worked hard to raise awareness about the importance of diversity in children’s literature. This is even more important as our little corner of the world becomes more and more diverse. Young readers need to see themselves in the books they read and they need to hear the voices from their cultures speaking to them from those pages. They also need to see the faces of those unlike them and hear the voices that have been silenced. So it is with heartfelt thanks to MCCBD that I offer my review of two special books from Wisdom Tales Press.

Over 1,000 years ago a fable about the interaction of animals and humans came about and in this new retelling of an old fable, When the Animals Saved the Earth, humankind is once again on trial for disrupting the natural order of things. Described as an Eco-Fable, author Alexis York Lumbard begins the story in an idyllic island in the bright blue sea. The animals live freely and happily and they are watched over by the spirit king Bersaf.

A storm brings humankind to the island and as you can imagine with the attitude of manifest destiny, the beautiful little island is no longer peaceful nor pleasant for the animals. Eventually the animals end up taking the humans to court where King Bersaf must decide how to bring peace back to the island.

When the Animals Saved the Earth is a well told story and the pictures by Demi are beautiful. Part of the charm of this book for me comes from the story’s rich history. Lumbard recounts it in the Author’s Note which appears opposite the title page. This book is easy to read and for the most part well suited for children ages 5 and up. I would advise parents to preview the book as there is one scene of the market place where cuts of meat are hanging and blood is dripping down. There is also another page depicting animals that have obviously been whipped to the point of bleeding. These illustrations may not be suitable for more sensitive children.

The message regarding empathy and caring for the world and creatures around you is a timely one I believe, however, I also feel that parents need to use their discretion regarding the rather graphic depiction of the treatment of the animals. Other than that, the drawings are wonderful and this book is sure to become a favorite among picture books.

Red Cloud’s War is the second book I had the pleasure to read. This fictionalized story of a true incident in history by Paul Goble is the account of the Fetterman Fight of December 21 1866 from a young Native American’s point of view. Drawing upon actual published accounts from Native Americans and material from white historians, Mr. Goble produces a fascinating tale full of action and emotion.

Young readers have an opportunity to experience the battle from the Native perspective which offers insight into how Native people viewed the invasion of their land. Stories about Indians and cowboys or white soldiers and the settling of the West are nowhere near as prevalent now as they were in days gone by. Still, this little piece of history as told by Goble offers today’s youth the other side of the story which was sorely neglected when grandparents and great grandparents heard stories of wars and battles between Indians and whites.

The original artwork adds another layer of beauty to the telling of the tale as the detailed renderings draw the reader into the story. I believe young boys in particular will enjoy the story and the pictures. Even though it is a story about a clash of cultures and the resulting death and destruction, it is a story told with feeling and it gives a voice to so many who have been marginalized. Again, I would suggest that parents preview the book to determine its suitability for more sensitive children since it does involve some scenes that may be unsettling.
 
A big Thank You shout out to the co-creators of this wonderful event – Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom and Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book/Audrey Press.

Another huge Thank You to the sponsors of Multicultural Children’s Book Day:

Multicultural Children’s Book day 2016 Medallion Level Sponsors! #ReadYourWorld
Platinum: Wisdom Tales Press * StoryQuest Books*Lil Libros
Gold: Author Tori Nighthawk*Candlewick Press
Silver: Lee and Low Books*Chronicle Books*Capstone Young Readers
Bronze: Pomelo Books* Author Jacqueline Woodson*Papa Lemon Books* Goosebottom Books*Author Gleeson Rebello*ShoutMouse Press*Author Mahvash Shahegh* China Institute.org*

The 12 wonderful co-hosts of this amazing event can be viewed here.

As stated at the beginning, the mission of the MCCBD team is evergreen. We all need to work together to bring diversity in reading into our schools, our libraries and, of course, our homes. I personally wish to thank Wisdom Tales Press for their dedication to “sharing the wisdom and beauty of cultures from around the world.” I also thank them for providing the books Red Cloud’s War and When the Animals Saved Earth for review.

What a trap. What a stress trigger. And how many of us live in the middle of this, knowing that we are not perfect and that reaching perfection is merely a pipe dream. There will always be room for improvement as long as we are human.

I’ve embarked on a new phase of my writing career. It’s a double edged sword. I love it and at the same time it’s nerve wracking! Up until recently I’ve been writing articles on various subjects. I research the information or write from prior knowledge. The only stress involved comes from my own procrastination and usually I work better under pressure. I enjoy doing the research and I really enjoy writing the articles.

Thanks to my mentor and friend, Kathleen Krueger, I am now moving out of my comfort zone and writing a few articles for a national magazine. This means that I have to interview people. I was given the topic and except for the theme question, I had to come up with interview questions myself. My writer friend Eric, also a former reporter for the Boston Globe and Chi Town Trib offered this advice: Who, what, when, where. Go deep. Don’t just look at the first thing you see on Google, dig deeper. Go a several pages in and see what you dig up. Don’t ask obvious questions. Do your research. All of it is good advice. Thanks Eric.

The women I am interviewing are amazing. I can’t help but think, who am I to interview such an incredible woman? I’ve done the research and have felt so humbled and blessed to have the opportunity to talk with some definite movers and shakers in important positions. Yet, some of these incredible women are just as nervous about being interviewed as I am about interviewing them. That surprised me. A lot.

These vibrant women share some important traits. They all know how to eat an elephant – one bite at a time! They talk about perseverance and keeping your eye on the goal. They know the importance of self-care. Each one has some routine that keeps her going, helps her decompress after a busy day – and trust me, these ladies have busy days like you wouldn’t believe. For each of them family is important. Family keeps them grounded.

They all believe in helping others and mentoring. They have an appreciation for those who paved the way for them to achieve. They, in turn, are way makers. They also believe in their own abilities. They’ve learned to trust their instincts and follow their dreams. They are curious and life-long learners. All of them emphasize the importance of education.

Interviewing a woman whose job takes her all over the world, one who deals with billion dollar budgets or one who makes decisions that will impact millions of lives can be intimidating. I’m embracing the late Susan Jeffer’s advice: Feel the fear and do it anyway. At the end of the day, all these women are human beings just like me. They had things they had to overcome and deal with. They also had fears and misgivings they had to conquer. They pushed through, they continue to push through and they are doing amazing things as a result.

Through these interviews I have learned a lot and I have remembered some things I had forgotten. It’s quite an experience and I am so grateful to have this opportunity. It’s a far stretch outside of my comfort zone, but I’m doing it and I know I’m a better person for it. One of the best lessons I’ve learned from this experience so far is that I don’t have to be perfect. All I need to do is keep moving forward and do my best. I need to be willing to work at it and not give up. When adversity comes, don’t quit. Re-frame the situation, change the attitude and keep on keeping on. That’s how a person grows.

While the rest of the country is enjoying spring, here in Minnesnowta, we are enjoying our in-between season, "springter," which perhaps, given our current weather, should be called "winting" since it seems to be more winter-ish than spring-ish. Right now, I think that many Minnesnowtans consider it to be just  "ish" since we have not seen the ground for months because of the snow cover. Hence, I post a picture of last spring's plum blossoms rather than the wintery scene that greets me outside the window!


The promise of spring is in the air, however. I hear birds chirping in the mornings now. The wintry clouds occasionally excuse themselves and allow the rays of the sun to actually reach the earth. I sometimes find myself standing in the hall window, eyes closed, soaking up the warmth of the sun's radiance. Life is good. Sometimes rough; sometimes frustrating. But, in the end it's always good.

Last night I spoke with a long time friend of mine, we were in kindergarten together, and he had wonderful news to share. We both have a love for writing, but Eric followed his passion. I dabbled in mine thinking that I needed to get a "real" job and do things the hard way because writing was so much fun - too much fun and too easy for me to imagine getting paid to do it. Eric, on the other hand, discovered that there were "real" jobs that paid decent, were fun, interesting and, best of all, based on having writing skills. This paid off greatly for him both in his career as a professor of creative writing at Columbia College in Chicago and as an author.

Bedrock Faith, Eric's first novel, was just released the beginning of March. He's had a whirlwind of activity as a result. His book is getting rave reviews and is on the list of Oprah Magazine's Ten Books to Pick Up Now in the April issue. He's been doing readings all over the country and I wouldn't be surprised if he finds himself negotiating movie rights before long. He graciously allowed me to read his galley a couple of years ago and at that time, I had a pretty good idea that he was going to make it big.

This is a book I couldn't put down. It's a suspenseful read about what happens when the neighborhood criminal comes home from prison. He experienced religious conversion while incarcerated and it changed his life completely. The twists and turns the book takes are amazing. The main character, Stew Pot, kept me guessing as to what he was going to do next and he always had something shocking up his sleeve. I know Eric and I just kept wondering how he was able to think up this stuff!

In this day and age of short attention spans, a book over 200 pages might have a hard time getting read. I was told my 600 word blog posts were too long. Well, coming in at 420 pages, Bedrock Faith is a hefty novel. I thought it was going to take me a while to read it. I was wrong. Each chapter was short and ended with a hook that couldn't be ignored. I had to read on.

Why am I devoting the first page of my new blog on writing to an author friend? First, because I am so proud of him and I feel blessed to be his friend. If you are a writer, then perhaps you understand. Second, his success gives me hope and motivation. Eric didn't stumble upon this success. He took years to write his book and decades to hone his skills as a writer. He is now living his dream.

By default, I am living my own dream of being a writer. It's not glamorous; I don't travel or do readings anywhere, but on the other hand, it's all about the journey as far as I'm concerned. I'm a writer at large. I'm a freelancer who enjoys writing articles about pretty much anything. I'm a blogger. I'm a poet. I'm a song writer and I write stories for kids. I'm working on my own books. I'm about to spend the month of April madly pounding away at my keyboard as a participant in the ever challenging Camp NaNoWriMo. My journey is very scenic and it's very much my own.

One day, I'll be blogging about my own book launch. I'm looking forward to that day. It's going to take a lot of work to get there, but in the end, I know it will be worth it. Meanwhile, I'm going to enjoy the journey. I'm also going to enjoy reading Bedrock Faith again!