Multicultural Children’s Book Day is both a nonprofit organization and an event. Celebrated in the last week of January since 2012, the event has donated over 10,000 books to underserved children, classrooms, and organizations. This coming year the event will be held in the evening on Thursday, January 26, 2023, and it is a mission that author Deedee Cummings supports wholeheartedly.
In fact, Deedee is so committed that her company, Make a Way Media, is a super platinum sponsor of the upcoming event for the fifth time! She also serves on the organization’s board of advisors.
But why are diverse books so important?
Diverse books provide a sense of security and comfort. “Diverse books send messages to all of us about the beauty of being a human being and getting to know someone else’s story. They teach us and remind us that we can work together and be more compassionate, more kind, and more engaged with one another,” she says.
If you’re an avid reader, you’ve heard the adage that books can be mirrors, reflecting someone who looks, feels, or has experiences similar to ours back, or windows, helping us see a world we wouldn’t normally see. Both are important. We need to feel that we aren’t alone and that the person we are is valuable enough to have a story about them shared with the world. We also need to be able to understand others, to walk in their shoes in a safe way, and a book is one of the best ways to do this.
“Reading changes lives…but our children need to read and see stories with characters of all colors, religions, ethnic origins, abilities, and
socio-economic backgrounds. Having more diverse books written and published is only half the battle. Parents, educators, caregivers, and librarians need to know these books exist in order to give our kids what they need,” Deedee says.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day is one way to help these stakeholders give kids the books they need. The non-profit provides hundreds of free books and resources for teachers, parents, and anyone else who thinks helping children understand others through books is a great way to teach empathy and explore humanity. Join us for the virtual party this month by registering here. Also, follow along with the hashtag #ReadYourWorld for updates and more information on social media. Don’t miss the party. It’s a lot of fun and packed with free prizes and new relationships! We’ll see you there!!!
About Deedee Cummings
As a therapist, attorney, author, and CEO of Make A Way Media, Deedee Cummings has a passion for making the world a better place.
All 16 of Cummings’ diverse picture, poetry, and workbooks for kids reflect her professional knowledge and love of life. Colorful and vibrant, her children’s books are not only fun for kids and adults to read, they also work to teach coping skills, reinforce the universal message of love, encourage mindfulness, and facilitate inclusion for all.
Cummings has spent more than two decades working within the family therapy and support field and much of her writing shares her experiences of working with kids in therapeutic foster care. As a result, her catalogs of published books for kids are filled with positive, hopeful messages. Using therapeutic techniques in her stories to teach coping skills, Cummings also strives to lessen the stigma that some people feel when it comes to receiving mental health assistance.
