Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I?

Some of the topics I’ve focused on here are diversity and inclusion, growth mindset, mindfulness, and helping kids cope with difficult issues they face today. How lucky that I was able to review If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I? for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. All those topics are part of this book/journal!

Thank you to Make a Way Media for giving me a copy of the book to facilitate my review. This review is honest and my own opinion. This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).

If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I? by Deirdre Pecchioni Cummings (Deedee Cummings) (Revised August 27, 2020)
Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
Format: Paperback
Pages: 76

 

Book Description:

Throughout her work as a therapist with children, Deirdre Cummings, has recognized two major areas of concern affecting the esteem of today’s youth. One is too much screen time and emphasis on how the world sees you (or worse approves you) through social media. The second is a lack of focus on goals and a real belief that it is possible to achieve them. This journal is fun and thought-provoking. It is never too early for kids to begin working towards their dreams. If A Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I teaches children the value of having of being self-aware which fosters greater resilience, increases dreaming and motivation, and improves relationships with the people in their life who matter most. It is not only a roadmap, but a time capsule of hopes and dreams for tomorrow’s future leaders!

My Review of If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I?

Coloring has become a popular mindfulness activity. And journaling has become a popular growth mindset activity. This book includes both along with suggestions for helping children and teens cope with some of the difficult issues facing them today. And the multicultural images make it especially appropriate for multicultural children.

I have two multicultural granddaughters. The oldest, Zoey, is 5 years old and a kindergartener. While the book is generally focused on kids who are a bit older, much of it is relevant for her, too. And I appreciate that it can grow with her. We’re going through the pages that are relevant, discussing them, coloring them together, and adding the date. (At Make a Way Media, it says that “All people and ages enjoy this book, but the overall content is traditionally geared more towards women and girls.”)

In the photo, Zoey and I are discussing ideas on the”I am the only me there is” page. If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I? is a book we can go through for a number of years, reading and working with new pages as they become important issues for her age group at the time.

I like the idea of opening the book to a page you’d like to explore together with a child. Of course, I’d welcome another page if the child chose it. With younger children especially, that can be a great way to encourage discussing important ideas and spending special time together. (Note: I put the skin tones together in the box of crayons to make it easier for Zoey to choose whatever skin tone she’d like when coloring. I’ve ordered colored pencils in skin tones to use at times as well.)

I love the emphasis in the book on limiting screen time. That’s important at any age. Zoey doesn’t text or spend time on social media, so I’m saving those parts for when she’s older. And the emphasis on being yourself and following your dreams is wonderful.

Zoey and her toddler sister, Sophia, have a wide variety of ancestors, ranging in color from Scandinavian to Black. Zoey is comfortable with a wide variety of races as well. And she very comfortably talks about different shades of skin and different types of hair. She has a rainbow of friends as well. If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I is the type of book that should help her stay happy with who she is as she grows and matures.

If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I? is wonderful as a journal for preteen girls on up. I especially recommend the book/journal for adults and girls of many ages to share together.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 (1/25/19) is in its 6^th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents, and educators.

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

Medallion Level Sponsors

Honorary: Children’s Book Council, The Junior Library Guild, TheConsciousKid.org.

Super Platinum: Make A Way Media

GOLD: Bharat Babies, Candlewick Press, Chickasaw Press, Juan Guerra and The Little Doctor / El doctorcito, KidLitTV, Lerner Publishing Group, Plum Street Press,

SILVER: Capstone Publishing, Carole P. Roman, Author Charlotte Riggle, Huda Essa, The Pack-n-Go Girls,

BRONZE: Charlesbridge Publishing, Judy Dodge Cummings, Author Gwen Jackson, Kitaab World, Language Lizard – Bilingual & Multicultural Resources in 50+ Languages, Lee & Low Books, Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul, Redfin, Author Gayle H. Swift, T.A. Debonis-Monkey King’s Daughter, TimTimTom Books, Lin Thomas, Sleeping Bear Press/Dow Phumiruk, Vivian Kirkfield,

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Author Sponsors on board

Honorary: Julie Flett, Mehrdokht Amini,

Author Janet Balletta, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Josh Funk, Chitra Soundar, One Globe Kids – Friendship Stories, Sociosights Press and Almost a Minyan, Karen Leggett, Author Eugenia Chu, CultureGroove Books, Phelicia Lang and Me On The Page, L.L. Walters, Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Hayley Barrett, Sonia Panigrah, Author Carolyn Wilhelm, Alva Sachs and Dancing Dreidels, Author Susan Bernardo, Milind Makwana and A Day in the Life of a Hindu Kid, Tara Williams, Veronica Appleton, Author Crystal Bowe, Dr. Claudia May, Author/Illustrator Aram Kim, Author Sandra L. Richards, Erin Dealey, Author Sanya Whittaker Gragg, Author Elsa Takaoka, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo, Anita Badhwar, Author Sylvia Liu, Feyi Fay Adventures, Author Ann Morris, Author Jacqueline Jules, CeCe & Roxy Books, Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, LEUYEN PHAM, Padma Venkatraman, Patricia Newman and Lightswitch Learning, Shoumi Sen, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Traci Sorell, Shereen Rahming, Blythe Stanfel, Christina Matula, Julie Rubini, Paula Chase, Erin Twamley, Afsaneh Moradian, Claudia Schwam, Lori DeMonia, Terri Birnbaum/ RealGirls Revolution, Soulful Sydney, Queen Girls Publications, LLC

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Biracial Bookworms, Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Descendant of Poseidon Reads, Educators Spin on it, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joy Sun Bear/ Shearin Lee, Jump Into a Book, Imagination Soup, Jenny Ward’s Class, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Raising Race Conscious Children, Shoumi Sen, Spanish Playground

FREE RESOURCES From MCBD

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: https://wp.me/P5tVud-1H

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teacher-classroom-empathy-kit/

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

More Multicultural Resources

If you’re looking for some wonderful multicultural songs, check out my post with lots of free multicultural songs celebrating diversity and inclusion. It even includes the Multicultural Children’s Book Day #ReadYourWorld 2019 Music Video!

See my other Muticultural Children’s Book Day 2019 review here: Midnight Teacher: Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret School.

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