{"id":17688,"date":"2018-03-09T00:01:55","date_gmt":"2018-03-09T05:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/?p=17688"},"modified":"2018-03-06T23:23:21","modified_gmt":"2018-03-07T04:23:21","slug":"lets-talk-about-diversity-with-melissa-iwai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/2018\/03\/lets-talk-about-diversity-with-melissa-iwai\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s Talk About Diversity\u2026 with Melissa Iwai"},"content":{"rendered":"

As pretty much anyone who knows me will tell you, I\u2019m passionate about my job. I devour children\u2019s books, love the creative process of putting together programs, and can\u2019t get enough of school outreach. The thing I love most, though, is the opportunity I have to promote diverse books, to offer children mirrors as well as windows.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s only one problem: As a white, cisgender, non-disabled individual, I\u2019ve never personally dealt with a lack of representation in books. While I\u2019m in no way saying librarians and teachers can\u2019t recommend books featuring characters unlike themselves, I feel it\u2019s important for the children and families in my library to hear about diverse books from people who have struggled \u2013 and in many ways still struggle \u2013 with a lack of representation. So, once a month I host a diverse booktalk where local authors and\/or illustrators come to the library to share some of their favorite titles. The line-up for this year so far includes such talented voices in children\u2019s and YA lit as Dhonielle Clayton and Ashley Woodfolk, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, and Arvin Ahmadi.<\/p>\n

Last month, author\/illustrator Melissa Iwai came to 53rd<\/sup> Street Library to share some of her favorite diverse picture books. Melissa is the author of the recently-released Pizza Day <\/em>and its predecessor Soup Day<\/em>. She\u2019s always tried to consciously illustrate diverse families, partly as a response to the lack of diversity she saw in the books she read as a child: \u201cI never saw picture books with kids who looked like me. Maybe one or two, [but mostly old Japanese folktales]. It was never anything that related to my daily life as a Japanese-American.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because she\u2019s an amazing human being, Melissa came prepared with a title list \u2013 complete with brief descriptions \u2013 to share with patrons. The list was quite extensive, so I\u2019ve selected 10 titles to share below. All title selections and descriptions, as well as the resource and hashtag guides at the end, are Melissa\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/a>Mystery Bottle <\/em>by Kristen Balouch (2006)<\/p>\n

This book is written by my friend, Kristen Balouch, and it\u2019s the only one I can think of that features an Iranian-American protagonist. It\u2019s a beautiful story of a boy\u2019s relationship with his grandfather, who still lives in Iran.<\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>Umbrella <\/em>by Taro Yashima (1958)<\/p>\n

Umbrella <\/em>features a little Japanese-American girl living in New York and her anticipation of finally using her new umbrella on a rainy day. It was originally published many years ago, and I\u2019m sory I never saw it growing up; I only came across it as an adult.<\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>No Kimchi for Me! <\/em>by Aram Kim (2017)<\/p>\n

I love this sweet story by my friend, Aram, about Yoomi\u2019s quest to finally eat spicy kimchi like her big brothers and prove she\u2019s not a baby. The characters are cats, but they clearly have a Korean heritage. It also features a really good kimchi recipe at the end of the story!<\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>Freedom in Congo Square <\/em>by Carole Boston Weatherford, illus. by R. Gregory Christie (2016)<\/p>\n

This is a beautifully illustrated (Caldecott Honor winner) and moving story about the square in New Orleans where people of African heritage, both enslaved and free, danced and played music on Sunday afternoons. The intermingling of the different African, Caribbean, and European music led to the development of new styles, including jazz.<\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>Grandfather\u2019s Journey <\/em>by Allen Say (1993)<\/p>\n

This book is just gorgeous; the paintings have such a quiet, calming energy. It tells the story of the journey the author\u2019s grandfather makes to the US from Japan and of the similar journey the author later makes as an adult.<\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>Into the Snow <\/em>by Yuki Kaneko, illus. by Masamitsu Saito (2016)<\/p>\n

Just a simple, sweet story about the fun and excitement of playing in and experiencing snow \u2013 but I love that the main character is Asian for no specific reason. This is the kind of book I wish I had grown up with.<\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>Thank You, Trees! <\/em>By Gail Langer Karwoski and Marilyn E. Gootman, illus. by Kristen Balouch (2012)<\/p>\n

This is a cute book about T\u2019uv Shevat, a Jewish holiday celebrating the new year for trees. This publisher, Kar Ben, publishes many Jewish-themed picture books.<\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>I Love Saturdays y domingos<\/em> by Alma Flor Ada, illus. by Elivia Savadier (1999)<\/p>\n

This story is about a little girl and her visits to her two sets of grandparents \u2013 one on Saturdays and one on Sundays (domingos). Both sets of grandparents have very different cultural backgrounds but they share a love for their granddaughter. There\u2019s a lot of Spanish works sprinkled in the text, which is nice.<\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>Sweetest Kulu <\/em>by Celina Kalluk, illus. by Alexandria Neonakis (2013)<\/p>\n

Kulu is an Inukitut term of endearment, and Sweetest Kulu<\/em> is a beautiful poem about all the different wild animals who visit the newborn bearing various gifts.<\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>All the Way to Havana <\/em>by Margarita Engle, illus. by Mike Curato (2017)<\/p>\n

This is a really fun book to read aloud. It\u2019s about a young boy\u2019s journey with his family from the country to Havana in their old, rattling car, Cara Cara. The illustrations really capture the warmth and beauty of Cuba.<\/p>\n

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Other Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n