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GOING DOWN HOMW WITH DADDY – A Multicultural Children’s Book Day review

January 29, 2021 Claire Annette Noland 2 Comments

It’s Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021
#ReadYourWorld

MCBD, a celebration of the diversity of kidlit, was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen and is back for its eighth year and I am excited to be supporting the mission of MCBD which helps parents, teachers, librarians and students by increasing awareness of the need for diversity in children’s literature.  Publishers and authors generously provide books to bloggers like me so that I can share them with people like you. The book I am sharing in this post was sent to me by Peachtree Publishing for an honest review.

 

 

GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY
By Kelly Starling Lyons (author) and Daniel Minter (illustrator)
Peachtree Publishing: 2019
Picture book for ages 4-8
Setting: Granny’s rural home in the south
Themes: Family, Family Reunions, Black American History

The story begins:

On reunion morning, we rise before the sun. Daddy hums as he packs our car with suitcases and a cooler full of snacks. He says there’s nothing like going down home.

 Lil Alan is excited to be going to the family reunion celebration at great-grandma Granny’s. He’ll see cousins, eat favorite foods, play games, and listen to family stories. Everyone is bringing something – a song to sing, a story to read, a musical duet, and a scrapbook. But Lil Alan is worried because he has nothing to share.

The weekend rolls on with a worship service tractor rides, and Lil Alan learns more about his family’s past and what they have overcome. Then he knows and he collects treasures from their land and shares the significance of each item.

 

GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY is a stunning book in every way. The water color illustrations which glow on the page earned the illustrator a Caldecott honor. The language is as beautiful as a song with phrases like Grandma “showers our cheeks with peppermint kisses,” night skies with “a sweep of sparkling stars,” Granny “scattering corn for chickens like tiny bits of gold,” and grown-ups who “slap cards and checkers.” The story is warm and filled with love and makes the reader wish to be a part of this joyful family. Highly recommended for diverse school and family bookshelves.

        For more information and to join the MCBD Twitter party check out the links and use the #READYOURWORLD

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Prgamaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com) Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media Gold Sponsors: Barefoot Books, Candlewick Press, Capstone, Hoopoe Books, KidLitTV, Peachtree Publishing Company Inc. Silver Sponsors: Charlotte Riggle, Connecticut Association of School Librarians, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Pack-N-Go Girls Bronze Sponsors: Agatha Rodi and AMELIE is IMPRESSED!, Barnes Brothers Books, Create and Educate Solutions, LLC, Dreambuilt Books, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin Real Estate, Snowflake Stories, Star Bright Books, TimTimTom Bilingual Personalized Books, Author Vivian Kirkfield, Wisdom Tales Press,

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Poster Artist: Nat Iwata Authors: Author Afsaneh Moradian, Author Alva Sachs & Three Wishes Publishing Company, Author Angeliki Stamatopoulou-Pedersen, Author Anna Olswanger, Author Casey Bell , Author Claudine Norden, Author Debbie Dadey, Author Diana Huang & Intrepids, Author Eugenia Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Green Kids Club, Author Gwen Jackson, Author Janet Balletta, Author Josh Funk, Author Julia Inserro, Karter Johnson & Popcorn and Books, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, Author Keila Dawson, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Author Mia Wenjen, Michael Genhart, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Natalie Murray, Natalie McDonald-Perkins, Author Natasha Yim, Author Phe Lang and Me On The Page Publishing, Sandra Elaine Scott, Author Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, Author Theresa Mackiewicz, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Author Toshia Stelivan, Valerie Williams-Sanchez & The Cocoa Kids Collection Books©, Author Vanessa Womack, MBA, Author Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by these Media Partners!

Check out MCBD’s Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit Gallery of Our Free Posters FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

Filed Under: Bookish Field Trips, Multicultural Children's Books, picture books Tagged With: Family reunions, GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY, Multicultural Children's Book Day

Previous Post: « KING & KAYLA and the Case of the Unhappy Neighbor – A Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review
Next Post: FEAST OF PEAS – A Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mia Wenjen says

    January 31, 2021 at 3:28 pm

    This is such a great book review! Thanks so much for joining us for Multicultural Children’s Book Day! #ReadYourWorld

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      February 20, 2021 at 8:26 pm

      Thanks, Mia, for taking the time to read my reviews and for putting on the amazing MCBD!

      Reply

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Hello. I’m Claire Annette - reader, writer, teacher, and field trip planner extraordinaire. Here at A Field Trip Life you will find ideas for adventures large and small and the kids’ books that inspire them. Sign your permission slip. Let's go!

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