Once Upon a Kwanzaa -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Nyasha Williams and Sidney Rose McCall to bring you this post.

Do you know much about Kwanzaa? By this point in time we have all heard of Kwanzaa, but many don't totally know what it is. It was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. He was searching for ways to bring Black people together after riots in Los Angeles. (Source) I don't remember hearing about Kwanzaa until the 1990s. I always feel like it is a new holiday. Even with my diversity training and work, I really didn't know too much about Kwanzaa. I have learned more by reading books and reviewing them as well as by sharing crafts and activities here. Today I get to share a wonderful and informative new book about the holiday. It is Once Upon a Kwanzaa by Nyasha Williams and Sidney Rose McCall and illustrated by Sawyer Cloud. Along with my review there is a roundup of crafts and activities to celebrate Kwanzaa and a giveaway.

Upcoming Holiday Book Round-Up with Easy Christmas Ornaments

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was quiet and relaxing, but the day before we spent at least five hours in the emergency department of Boston Children's Hospital. It has been a long two weeks. First Covid and then pneumonia and an asthma flare up (both caused by Covid). Luckily, she seems to be on the mend, and I can focus again on my blog and life. That means getting ready for Christmas and the other upcoming holidays. Today I am sharing a collection of holiday books that I have been waiting to share as well as some easy Christmas ornaments made from things like cupcake liners and pipe cleaners. My round-up of books include three board books and three picture books. The first book we will share is the board book about Kwanzaa. It is called Kwanzaa and is by Hannah Eliot and illustrated by Andrea Pippins. It is part of the Celebrate the World Series and is recommended for ages 2 to 4.

Award Winning New Picture Books Perfect for Black History Month

 

On January 24, 2022, the American Library Association announced the 2022 Youth Media Awards! You can see all the winners here. I was happy to see Firekeeper's Daughter won the William C. Morris Award and the Printz Award. Ace of Spades was a finalist for the Printz Award. I really enjoyed both of these young adult books and Ace of Spades is another book great for Black History Month. I went through the list of awards and began requesting books from the library. I found five picture books from the list that are perfect for Black History Month and thought I would share them with you. One will be reshared as I did review it in 2021. We will start with Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12 or grades 3 to 6.

Sharing Saturday 14-52

Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week!! This week we have two days of features!! For Christmas I chose some Christmas themed posts to feature. Please take the time to check them out and pin them for next year's crafts! For this week's features we have some December holidays and snow themed posts as well as  a couple of extras.

Holidays

1) From Living Montessori Now: Free Kwanzaa Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time

2) From A Life in Balance: Kid-Friendly New Year's Eve Party for Families

3) From The Practical Mom: Glitter Stars with Popsicle Sticks

4) From Powerful Mothering: How to Make a Quiet Book

In the Nick of Time Too -- a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am sharing another review for Multicultural Children's Book Day. The special day is coming fast! Today's book is a holiday book that deals with embracing our differences. The book is In the Nick of Time Too by Deedee Cummings and illustrated by Charlene Mosley. It is recommended for ages 4 to 10. 

Sharing Saturday 14-1

Wow, did you have a chance to check out the amazing ideas shared over the last two weeks? Last week I had a few features and I have some this week as well. There are some great ideas for Christmas, New Year's and every day as well as some round-ups of 2013 bests. The most clicked is from Afterschool for Smarty Pants: 6 Ways to Prepare for New Year with Children.