Multicultural books to help you celebrate notable dates

I first learned about author Junot Díaz’s foray into children’s books via a Facebook post about his new book Islandborn (due March 13, 2018). As a fan of his work, I was excited to learn that he was writing a children’s book about a young American girl, living in Washington Heights, who creates a portrait of her family’s home (the Dominican Republic) through their stories and descriptions.

I was elated to learn about Díaz’s new book because this experience is directly tied to mine and while I grew excited and patiently anticipated the book’s release, I was reminded of how much I missed as a young reader. As a child, I do not recall reading any books that depicted this type of experience or portrayed characters that resembled me. I wonder now if seeing my story and that of my family’s reflected in text could have provided perspective on the nuisances of growing up within a family that regarded a different country as “home.”

As an adult, I feel the responsibility of providing the children in my life with books that reflect their them--their lives, communities, and families. January 27 is Multicultural Children’s Book Day and in the coming months we’ll be celebrating Black History Month and Women’s History Month. I can’t think of a better way to welcome these months than with AMAZING books written by authors who resemble the little ones in my life, can educate them about who they are, what they can become, what’s ahead, and are FUN!

Picture books: