Many thanks to the MCCBD creators Mia and Valarie for including The Latina Book Club in their lineup. We strongly believe in diversity in schools, on TV and at the Oscars.—mcf  |
| Publisher: Making Spirits Bright...one book at a time |
I love
chocolate milk. In fact, every Wednesday
it is my ritual to visit my local Farmer’s Market and buy a pint of chocolate
milk from the Ronnybrook Farm. It is so
rich and creamy. It’s like drinking a chocolate bar. I also love making hot chocolate by melting
pieces of a Cortés Sweet Chocolate Bar in Carnation evaporated milk. Yum.
Hence,
I was very pleased to receive a copy of CHOCOLATE MILK, POR FAVOR! by Maria Dismondy
to review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day, January 27.
It
is a beautiful and touching story of inclusion, diversity and empathy. As Maria Dismondy puts it: “It is about how actions
speak louder than words!” Children of
all ages will enjoy this wonderfully written and illustrated book.
SUMMARY: CHOCOLATE
MILK, POR FAVOR!, Maria Dismondy’s sixth book, is based on the real life
experience of one of her first graders. Gabe doesn't speak any English when his family
moves to the U.S. and enrolls him in school.
Yet despite the language barrier, Gabe makes friends and is soon playing
with the other kids. It is his classmate
Johnny who has the problem. Johnny can’t understand why the other kids are
playing with Gabe when he can’t even talk. He steers clear until he notices how
Gabe comes to school every day, and though he doesn’t speak, he is willing to
learn new things. Then one day Johnny sees
Gabe performing a soccer move that he has been struggling to master. He is surprised when Gabe offers to show him
the move using hand gestures. Soon
Johnny realizes what all the other kids had already realized -- that language
is not the only way to communicate, and that to have a friend one must first be
a friend.###
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR: Maria Dismondy is an award-winning author,
specializing in books about challenges children face. A topic close to her
heart, Maria’s own childhood experience inspired her first book, SPAGHETTI IN A
HOT DOG BUN. Her dedication to
empowering children with courage and confidence has reached new heights,
touching the hearts and hand of children the world over. As a sought-after speaker, Maria spreads her
message by presenting at schools and conferences across the country. She holds
degrees in education and child development. Maria lives in southeastern Michigan
with her husband and three book-loving children. Visit her at http://mariadismondy.com/.
ABOUT
Multicultural Children’s Book Day
MISSION: Multicultural Children’s Book Day’s mission
is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity,
but to get more of these books into classrooms and libraries.
CREATORS: The
co-creators of this unique event are Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic
Mom and Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book/Audrey Press. You can find
a bio for these dynamic ladies here.
SPONSORS: The MCCBD Team wishes to thank all its Medallion
Level Sponsors listed below:
Bronze: Pomelo Books*
Author
Jacqueline Woodson*Papa Lemon Books* Goosebottom
Books*Author Gleeson Rebello*ShoutMouse
Press*Author Mahvash Shahegh* China
Institute.org*Live Oak Media
CO-HOSTS: Plus, MCCBD would like to thank all its amazing
Co-Hosts listed below:
All
Done Monkey, Crafty
Moms Share,Educators Spin on it,Growing Book by Book,Imagination Soup,I’m Not the Nanny,InCultural
Parent, Kid
World Citizen,Mama Smiles,Multicultural Kid Blogs,Spanish Playground
BOOK LISTS &
RESOURCES: The MCCBD Diversity
Book Lists and Resources for Educators and Parents are available by clicking
here.
READING CHALLENGE: The Classroom Reading Challenge has begun!
Teachers can earn a free diversity book by clicking here.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Connect
with MCCBD here:
Official Hashtag:
#ReadYourWorld
READ LATINO