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The image is a photo of author Kao Kalia Yang, head turned and smiling slightly at the camera.

At the close of Immigrant Heritage Month, also the month in which we honor World Refugee Day, we celebrate the work of an important new picture book writer. In the late 1950's, when the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America went to the high mountains of Laos to commission 32,000 Hmong men ...continue reading "A New Voice in Picture Books: Hmong Writer Kao Kalia Yang"

This is the first post in a series sharing data from our collection that identifies significant gaps in representation of BIPOC characters in picture books. This past month, in honor of Asian and Pacific Islander American (AAPI) Heritage Month — which pays “tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's ...continue reading "Who’s Missing? Asian and Pacific Islander American Biographies"
Child and Parent Reading in Bedroom

During this time of home learning and shuttered libraries, do you find yourself reading the same picture books over and over again with the children in your life? This guest post -- by Maine author/educator Margy Burns Knight -- offers an approach that might help you make those "old" books new again! Margy is a ...continue reading "VTS: A New Way to Read the Same Ol’ Picture Book!"

Last week Director Krista Aronson and I, as cofounders of the Diverse BookFinder, had the pleasure of joining Andrew Grant-Thomas and Melissa Giraud of EmbraceRace, for a webinar as a follow-up to our action guide on selecting “good” books among those featuring characters who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). One of our ...continue reading "“I HATE FICTION!” — Choosing Diverse Books for Particular Readers"

Our first post gave instructions for finding e-books through your local library. But what if you don’t have access to a public library, or your library doesn’t subscribe to the CloudLibrary? Below, we offer our thoughts on two programs offering electronic picture books, free for the first 30 days with a trial subscription -- Epic! ...continue reading "For These Strange & Difficult Times: Finding Diverse Electronic Picture Books #2"

As our schools and libraries are closed, we at the Diverse BookFinder are trying to continue to offer access and resources related to picture books featuring BIPOC. This post will explore e-books, with a few recommended titles that you can borrow immediately (unless they’re already on loan in your library system). Through the coming weeks, ...continue reading "For These Strange & Difficult Times: Finding Diverse Electronic Picture Books #1"

This piece was co-authored by our project coordinator, Dr. Andrea Breau. Last month, we once again joined the excellent offering of Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorative activities at Bates College, hosting the only event on the day-long program for families with young children. To our surprise, in addition to the dozen or so children ...continue reading "Using K-3 Picture Books to Talk About Race & Racism With Children"

Alice Levine is a long-time educator and family engagement specialist. After many years of work in the Boston Public Schools, Alice now lives in Western MA where she provides training and consulting for schools, districts, and organizations. Alice is very involved with issues of immigration justice, including solidarity with undocumented immigrants within her own community, witness and ...continue reading "With Sensitivity and Courage: Sharing Books in the Classroom about Crossing the Border"

Happy 2020! Perhaps, like people all around the world who follow the Gregorian calendar, you just marked the new year with ceremony, ritual, or a party. (My husband and I sent our daughter and son-in-law out for their first date in six months while we stayed in with our grandchildren. As our new granddaughter slept, ...continue reading "Happy New Year — All Year Round!"
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