Disclaimer: This post was Sponsored by Multicultural Children’s Book Day. As always, all my opinions are my own. Please read my full disclosure policy.
Did you know that January 27th is Multicultural Children’s Book Day?
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 (1/27/18) is in its 5th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.
I am so happy to be a part of spreading the word this year by reviewing A Marvelous Mexican Misunderstanding, a book about The Day of the Dead, sibling antics, and family history and love. 
Before I get into the review I want you to think about how many books have children of colour as the main character. Contrary to what you may THINK, children’s books that feature a child of colour account for only 10% of children’s books that are published.
That’s deplorable. Children look to picture books to inspire them, and to relate to them. If they do not see images that look like them it is discouraging, and really effects their self esteem, as well as a whole lot more.
This is why I make an effort in my family to support books that feature children who do not look like my own kids. We live in a diverse culture and I want to see those diverse stories, and I need to share them with my kids.
I was so lucky to be given a copy of A Marvelous Mexican Misunderstanding by Evi Triantafyllides. As you all know I am a huge fan of Halloween, and so a book that takes place in the same season was perfect for our Halloween loving family.
The story follows a little boy named Adri, who had recently moved back to his family village in Mexico. He is worried because everyone around him is talking about the Day of the Dead and how central it is to life in Mexico.
He believes that the Day of the Dead means that he is going to die, and his sister Tani takes full advantage of the situation, playing it up as only a sister can.
He frets and frets for the days leading up to the festivities, and even writes a few letters to his family preparing for his last day on earth.
Of course, his mom finds out and all is righted by the end of the book.
What we liked the most about this book is that my children we learning right alongside Adri about what the Day of the Dead is all about. The concept of death is a hard one to teach to children, and this book helps to explain it in a safe way. At the end when the family is celebrating their loved ones who have passed is a great way to broach the conversation with your own children about loved ones.
Included in the book is also a list of foods that are traditionally eaten at Day of the Dead celebrations, so a great expansion on the book would be to make some of these treats and try them out for yourself. There are also pages of activities, and fun facts about Mexico so your kids can learn even more.
If you want to order a copy of Evi Triantafyllides book or purchase a story box with additional games, toys and activities that accompany the book. Please visit: www.worldwidebuddies.com
To follow Evi on Social :
There are many more resources available on the Multicultural Children’s Book Day website, they have Diversity Book Lists, and a FREE Classroom Empathy Kit if you want to order one today, for homeschoolers, librarians, teachers etc.
Also : The Read Your World: A Guide to Multicultural Children’s Books for Parents and Educators ebook created by the MCBD team and many of our book reviewers and supports will be FREE the week of January 26th-30th. GET YOURS TODAY!!
Last but not least, head over to the Multicultural Children’s Book Day BLOG to WIN prizes like different books from a myriad of different authors!
TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Scholastic Book Clubs: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be held 1/27/18 at 9:00pm.
Join the conversation and win one of 12-5 book bundles and one Grand Prize Book Bundle (12 books) that will be given away at the party! http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/twitter-party-great-conversations-fun-prizes-chance-readyourworld-1-27-18/
2018 MCBD Medallion Sponsors
HONORARY: Children’s Book Council, Junior Library Guild
PLATINUM:Scholastic Book Clubs
GOLD:Audrey Press, Candlewick Press, Loving Lion Books, Second Story Press, Star Bright Books, Worldwide Buddies
SILVER:Capstone Publishing, Author Charlotte Riggle, Child’s Play USA, KidLit TV, Pack-n-Go Girls, Plum Street Press
BRONZE: Barefoot Books, Carole P. Roman, Charlesbridge Publishing, Dr. Crystal Bowe, Gokul! World, Green Kids Club, Gwen Jackson, Jacqueline Woodson, Juan J. Guerra, Language Lizard, Lee & Low Books, RhymeTime Storybooks, Sanya Whittaker Gragg, TimTimTom Books, WaterBrook & Multnomah, Wisdom Tales Press
2018 Author Sponsors
Honorary Author Sponsors: Author/Illustrator Aram Kim and Author/Illustrator Juana Medina
Author Janet Balletta, Author Susan Bernardo, Author Carmen Bernier-Grand, Author Tasheba Berry-McLaren and Space2Launch, Bollywood Groove Books, Author Anne Broyles, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Eugenia Chu, Author Lesa Cline-Ransome, Author Medeia Cohan and Shade 7 Publishing, Desi Babies, Author Dani Dixon and Tumble Creek Press, Author Judy Dodge Cummings, Author D.G. Driver, Author Nicole Fenner and Sister Girl Publishing, Debbi Michiko Florence, Author Josh Funk, Author Maria Gianferrari, Author Daphnie Glenn, Globe Smart Kids, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Author Quentin Holmes, Author Esther Iverem, Jennifer Joseph: Alphabet Oddities, Author Kizzie Jones, Author Faith L Justice , Author P.J. LaRue and MysticPrincesses.com, Author Karen Leggett Abouraya, Author Sylvia Liu, Author Sherri Maret, Author Melissa Martin Ph.D., Author Lesli Mitchell, Pinky Mukhi and We Are One, Author Miranda Paul, Author Carlotta Penn, Real Dads Read, Greg Ransom, Author Sandra L. Richards, RealMVPKids Author Andrea Scott, Alva Sachs and Three Wishes Publishing, Shelly Bean the Sports Queen, Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Gayle H. Swift Author Elsa Takaoka, Author Christine Taylor-Butler, Nicholette Thomas and MFL Publishing Author Andrea Y. Wang, Author Jane Whittingham Author Natasha Yim
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.
