Book Review: Welcome to Your World by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

April 15, 2020April 10, 2020 Links to Literacy Book Reviews book review, My Learning Life, Welcome to Your World

Welcome to Your World by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

(March 2020, Candlewick Press)

A stunning picture book celebrating the loving bond that connects families to one another. Lyrically written and beautiful illustrations make the scenes between animals and their babies come to life. Welcome to Your World is a perfect gift for new mothers.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Candlewick Press in exchange for a review.

Book Review: Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Oceans by Janet Balletta #ReadYourWorld

January 31, 2020January 31, 2020 Links to Literacy Book Reviews #readyourworld, book review, Janet Balletta, MCBD20, My Learning Life

Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Oceans by Janet Balletta

Marlene is one of seven Mermaids chosen by the Council for the Mermaid Mission to save the oceans from mankind’s pollution. Each Mermaid is assigned to one of the seven continents and responsible for protecting the oceans around their assigned continent. Marlene was assigned to North America. As a result of her work with her sister mermaid, Fina, who protects the oceans around South America, Marlene and Fina were receiving a medal. They worked together to protect the Gulf of Mexico from chemical dumping. They joined their sisters at the Merfolk reunion in Asia where the Council for the Mermaid Mission honored them.

My thoughts: The author explores each of the seven continents and the environmental needs of the oceans surrounding each continent in a fun and engaging way. The illustrations are bright and colorful. I think children in early elementary grades would find this text engaging to identify the seven continents as well as learn bits of environmental science content as well.

I received a copy of this book to review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day from the author, Janet Balletta. Learn more about Janet and her books on her website.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.

Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

Super Platinum

Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,

Platinum

Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,

Gold

Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,

Silver

Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,

Bronze

Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books, Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales

Author Sponsor Link Cloud

Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson & The Queen of Physics , Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books , Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy , Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz
Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit

TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Teaching Third Grade: Comparing Texts

December 26, 2019December 24, 2019 Links to Literacy Comparing Texts, Read-Alouds Comparing Texts, Jon Klassen, My Learning Life

A few weeks ago, I received a special treat from Candlewick Press, Jon Klassen’s Hat Box. At the time I was in the middle of planning lessons to teach the “comparison of settings and plots between texts by the same author” to teach in a third grade classroom. The timing was perfect.

I set about planning lessons that included read alouds of each of the books, I Want My Hat Back, This is Not My Hat, and We Found a Hat. After we read the three books, we compared the plots and settings.

After students captured the information on their graphic organizer, they chose two books in order to write a comparison of the settings and plots.

Even though I used the three books together to teach children how to compare plots and settings, each book is a perfect stand alone read aloud for children. And so much fun!

April is Poetry Month: Celebrate with These Titles

March 14, 2016February 21, 2016 Links to Literacy Book Reviews, mentor texts, Poetry mentor texts, My Learning Life, poetry book reviews

April is Poetry Month. Take some time to celebrate with your students with a few of these titles.

Publisher: Harper Collins

Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield and illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Published: January 26, 2016)

This is the picture book version of a poem that was originally published in a collection of poems, Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems in 1978. This is a wonderful mentor text for listening to poetry read aloud, listening for the rhythm and rhyme in the poem. Teachers may want to use it as a mentor text for developing a writing piece based on “little moments” or as a personal narrative/memoir type writing piece.

In the Land of Words: New and Selected Poems by Eloise Greenfield and illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Published: January 26, 2016)

“The words can come from a memory, or a dream, or something I see or hear or wonder about or imagine. . . ” states Greenfield in her author’s note. In this collection of poems, she celebrates the written word and invites readers to look within themselves and discover what inspires them. A wonderful mentor to help students develop their own ideas through the written word and specifically through the genre of poetry.

My Chinatown: One Year in Poems by Kam Mak (Published: January 5, 2016)

In My Chinatown: One Year in Poems, the author explores a boy’s first year in the United States, after emigrating from China, as he grows to love his new home in Chinatown. Through beautiful paintings, and sparse text, Kam Mak pays homage to family, culture, and a childhood spent in Chinatown. This is a perfect mentor for many of our students in the United States today as they emigrate from their home countries and try to understand and live within an American culture, while not forgetting their own heritage.

This Is the Earth by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander, illustrated by Wendell Minor (Published: February 23, 2016)

This Is the Earth takes readers on a journey through hundreds of years as it explores how humans have affected the environment and shows the ways in which we can all care for the planet. Wendell Minor’s beautiful paintings and the authors’ spare, rhyming verse work beautifully together. This is a perfect poem to read aloud on Earth Day.