Picture book, 40 pages. Audience: 4 - 8 years. Published by HarperCollins in 2019. Recipient of the PURA BELPRÉ Honor; a Today Show's Best Kids' Books of 2019; an Indie Next List Pick; a Junior Library Guild Selection.
Heroes & Heroines Love Their Community
Pura Teresa Belpré loved the stories her Abuela taught her in Puerto Rico, but was surprised these folktales were not on the shelves when she began to work at the New York Public Library. Belpré began telling the stories at the children's story hour, as well as to publish them so that they would be on the shelves in many libraries - Belpré's books become the first mainstream Latinx storybooks in America.
Pura planted many seeds to build cultural community centers at many libraries through storytelling, puppet shows, and authoring children's books - she loved and served her community. Her light was so bright she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York Public Library in 1982 and the American Library Association now recognizes outstanding Latinx authors and illustrators in her name every year. Making It Real
Your local library is an invaluable resource for finding your community! Does your child have her own library card? Some libraries give cards to children as young 3 years old!! PLEASE, please, please - take your kiddos to the library to sign up for cards. And carry a basket with you for all the lovely books they will want to check out!
Another incredible resource to build up your child's own collection of books is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library that gifts books to children free of charge from birth to five years of age!!! 
Picture book, 40 pages. Audience: 4 - 8 years. Published by Schwartz & Wade Books in 2019. Winner of the American Library Association's 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Best Picture Book.
Heroes & Heroines are Focused
Tyrus Wong was one of the preeminent Chinese American artists of the 20th century and his art was featured around the country including alongside Pablo Picasso's work at the Chicago Art Institute in 1932.
Perhaps Tyrus's work is most accessible for children through Disney - his Chinese-inspired sketches and paintings set the artistic direction for Bambi! Despite innumerable obstacles and a lack of recognition, Tyrus focused on the one essential passion in his life: his art. Making It Real
The best way to make any art real for a child is to have a few good art materials at the ready - you never know when inspiration will take hold!
What are some basic art supplies for your budding artist?
Picture book, 40 pages. Audience: 4 – 8 years. Published in 2022 by Penguin Workshop.
Dance Hard!
Ria Thundercloud is from the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin and the Sandia Pueblo peoples of New Mexico and was welcomed to the dance circle at 4 years old with a traditional jingle dance pow wow initiation. By the time she was 13 she was also studying jazz, ballet and classical dance. As she dances nationally and internationally, Thundercloud has followed her brother’s whispered advice at her pow wow initiation to “Dance hard!”
Children shape their reality based on the building blocks we provide – home-life, loving relationships, community, culture all play a part in how our kiddos develop a positive self-identity. And providing books for children that accurately reflect their lived-experience, their community and culture is a critically important tool to reinforce those positive building blocks! Finding My Dance is just such a book with a strong heroine! Making It Real
Every summer our local libraries sponsor reading programs for children and adults. What better way to participate than for your child to read books with characters who look like them or are interested in the things your child loves.
If your library does not provide summer reading activities, then find a summer reading community at Scholastic's Summer Reading Home Base. |