As our children continue to grow up in an ever-changing world, we can all do with a wider selection of inclusive books. That’s where Rebel Girls author, Francesca Cavallo, comes in.
Cavallo is embarking on another journey to bring inclusive stories to young readers with a new series of four illustrated books, Paralympians. The unique picture books will tell the stories of Paralympic champions Russian-American wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden, Afro-French sprinter and long jumper Jean-Baptiste Alaize, Iranian archer Zahra Nemati and Italian fencer Beatrice Vio.
But in order to make these stories come to life, Cavallo and her new children’s media company, Undercats, needs your help. The books are currently on Kickstarter where they are garnering support to meet their goal and be published.
One of the illustrators for the series, Valentine Toro, shares “With this book series, we want to start creating a blueprint for the representation of people with disabilities in children’s books.”
The ParalympiansKickstarter campaign launches Jun. 22 and runs through Jul. 21, 2:59 PST. The books are available for pre-order in both English and Spanish, and at the time of publication, the campaign is already halfway to its goal of $20,000!
The pandemic left everyone missing family and friends, and none more so than grandparents. New research from Motel 6 has some interesting data on what the older generation plans on doing once it’s safe to travel again.
The survey was conducted via SWNS Media Group online among 2,000 U.S. grandparents. It found that most grandparents haven’t seen their grandchildren in person for over seven and a half months, with 59% spending less time in general as a result of the pandemic. What else did the survey find?
photo: Motel 6
Once it’s safe to travel again, 56% of grandparents said their first trip will be to see their grandkids, with almost half of those already in the planning stages. Forty two percent also reported they’ve had a grandchild born since the start of the pandemic.
Despite the challenges of the last year, 59% of grandparents plan to spend more time with their grandchildren than ever before in the future.
As more and more Americans feel ready to travel again, we are thrilled to be able to take part in some of these much-needed family reunions,” said Rob Palleschi, CEO of G6 Hospitality. “We will continue to leave the light on for all guests, whether that be grandparents staying with Motel 6 on the way to visit family or as a way to socially distance and remain safe for upcoming family visits.”
Helping kids explore their ever-evolving interests and creating opportunities for them to flex their creativity muscles can sometimes feel like a full-time job. It can feel especially challenging when you’re trying to balance all this uber-enriching parenting work with responding to emails, getting dinner on the table and making sure everyone has clean laundry for the morning.
Thanks to Bennett Live, inspired by the educational style of Bennett Day School, you can now give your kids access to a vast library of engaging media, programming, and educational resources that will help them explore, learn and create independently—all from their favorite device!
Bennett Live offers a unique way to help kids stay busy and keep on growing and thriving at home. Unlike other apps that rely on fully-screen-based games to teach new skills, Bennett Live invites kids, ages 3-18, to immerse themselves in engaging pre-recorded media content. Every episode includes a project or activity to create, a unique learning guide and all the extra resources your kiddo will need to dig deep (and stay busy.)
After months of a little (okay, a lot) more screen time than usual, we all know that not all screen time is created equally. Kids’ brains respond differently when they have access to apps they can use independently and that offer them real opportunities to develop their growth mindset, creativity, problem-solving and social-emotional skills, physical growth and literacy skills.
With partners like the Adler Planetarium, the Lincoln Park Zoo, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and game companies like SpinMaster, USOPOLY, and Wonderful Idea Co., you won’t ever have to spend a frantic evening trying to schedule expensive one-off classes to fill tomorrow morning again. The experts are all on Bennett Live and, while we're pretty sure your kid won’t burn through the 110,000 hours of viewable content that’s already on the app, new content is being added consistently!
All kids deserve access to high-quality, creative and hands-on learning experiences, and Bennett Live is already helping to make this sort of learning possible for so many families (ummm, over A MILLION people so far) who are working and learning remotely.
If Bennett Live sounds like something you’ve been dreaming of (whenever you get to sleep these days anyway), you’re in luck because it’s easy to sign up for a free 7-day trial. Once you and your kiddo see all it has to offer, we know you’ll be ready for more!
Bennett Live is now available from Google Play (for Android) and the App Store (for iOS). After a 7-day free trial, families can subscribe for $9.99/month or $79.99 a year.
One of the biggest questions that have come up with the recent hate crimes against the AAPI community is how to raise anti-racist kids. While there is no one right way to do it, there are a plethora of ways to model inclusivity and teach kids the importance of diversity.
Have Frequent Honest Conversations With Your Kids
From a young, impressionable age, educate your kids about diversity and inclusion by having frequent conversations that recognize and celebrate differences. Many parents are surprised at how helpful simply talking about diversity and inclusion can be, and how non-judgemental kids really are. Just last week, I was talking to my 10-year-old about different minority groups and I was blown away. He said he doesn’t care what skin color someone is, where someone lives, what gender they identify with or who they love as long as they were kind, fun, and a good friend. It’s truly that simple. We are born without judgment. Hate and bigotry is something we are taught or modeled, so it really comes down to setting a good example.
Help Your Kids Process Their Feelings
Much like you would process an internal family conflict, a disappointing event at school, or a bad grade, it’s important for parents to help kids process what they are seeing in the media. You don’t want to shield your kids from the outside world, but parents should take time to process what is going on in the world, e.g the #StopAsianHate movement. Watch your responses and physical reactions to media pieces, as your kids see and hear everything. Ask your kids how they are feeling with everything going on.
Experience Different Cultures
In an ideal world, we would be able to travel the world to immerse ourselves in different cultures but it isn’t always financially possible. I have been having my older son pick different influential people in history from the “Who Is” series and present lessons on them to me. This puts them in a teacher role and you in a student role. We also go on Amazon Explore to virtually travel to different parts of the world to learn about their traditions with a live interactive one-on-one guide.
Be Mindful Of What You Consume
Model inclusivity as a parent by consuming art, movies, music, and more from a variety of different cultures. In my family, we watch documentaries and then talk about what we learned as a family. We also role-play and discuss stereotypes whenever possible. View these as opportunities to have a more open dialogue with your child and to talk about your own family’s rich history, their journey to America, and the traditions you maintain to this day.
Highlight the Beauty in Diversity
Pay attention to how you communicate with and about others. As an Asian, I get asked most often…”Where are you from?” The simple answer is here. I was born and raised in Orange County. So when you ask where I am from, I am from here. You might also be wondering what my ethnicity is but that is a different question. I am an American, the daughter of immigrants from India and Indonesia (Chinese). Teaching your child the difference between ethnicity and nationality is a great place to start, and sharing details of your own family history can help inspire your kids to see the beauty in diversity.
Model Speaking Up & Out
This past year there has been so much hate and violence toward Black people, Asians, and other minorities in this country. As a first-generation American, I grew up being taught not to speak out against injustices, but to keep silent. To move on. To say things only within our home. I think we are the generation that is changing that. We have to change that. Innocent Asian people are being attacked because of how they look and bigotry, and my heart is broken. I always think that could have been my Mom or my Dad, and that is not ok. All these lives that have been affected by Asian hate…they are someone’s Mom, Dad, grandparent, sibling just going about their lives before being harassed or violently attacked. As a parent, show your child how to speak up and out when faced with injustice.
Proudly Eat Foods From Different Cultures
I remember never wanting to bring leftovers to school for lunch because they were “smelly”, so I opted for something more socially-acceptable. I ate my Kimchi at home, I wouldn’t let my mom make Indian curry if friends were coming over, and my husband has been the only guy I ever let see my 99 Ranch Market purchases. I love everything from the seaweed crackers, mae ploy sauce and jackfruit to the pickled daikon radish, boba ice cream, sticky rice dessert, and fresh noodles. It has taken me a long time to be proud of my heritage and present it to the outside world. I suggest parents eat their favorite foods proudly and introduce their kids to foods from different cultures early on. When they are old enough, you could also sign them up for cooking lessons so they can learn how to make things like dumplings or curry. If you want your kids to embrace diversity, start in the kitchen.
I know the majority of people in this country don’t hate Asians but the recent attacks have hit hard and close to home. I’m not always sure how to stop it or how to be a part of the solution, but I do want to keep the conversation going because change is imperative. I’m here to lend a voice, to have a conversation, and to create a better world for our kids. I want a world where my boys can be proud to be 1/2 Asian and celebrate their culture. Life is hard as it is…the color of our skin shouldn’t be one of the aspects making it harder. After all, we are a country of immigrants.
Veena mom of 2 boys (Max and Eddie), is a former Miss California and currently works on TV as an expert in the parenting, lifestyle, beauty and fashion space, You may have seen her on The Doctors, Ktla, Extra and FabFitFun TV and more. Veena currently resides in Boulder with her family.
Are your kiddos superfans of Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz and the famed “Wow in the World” podcast? News released today is going to change things up in a big way.
Tinkercast and Sony Music Entertainment (SME) have announced a new partnership that will develop premium podcast content that caters to kids and families––and undoubtedly take the growing audio market into the next dimension. Leading children’s media company, Tinkercast, and its vision of bringing engaging stories will soon be available on an even bigger scale.
photo: Meeno Peluce
If you aren’t familiar with Tinkercast, it was founded by media veterans Guy Raz, Mindy Thomas and Meredith Halpern-Ranzer. The Tinkercast team creates award-winning, immersive audio-first content that encourages “thinkers and tinkers” to embrace their role of shaping tomorrow.
SME’s role will broaden the scale and scope of Tinkercast’s work with its content creation, monetization and marketing expertise. So what does that mean exactly? You can expect tons of new episodes, international versions of existing content, PLUS brand new shows that will roll out this year!
Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, CEO, Tinkercast said “When we launched Tinkercast and Wow in the World, we were driven by our desire as parents and media makers to engage kids beyond the screen, in conversations and in their future. As parents, we wanted our kids to feel agency in their world. As media makers and storytellers, we believed that well-told stories could inspire hope, optimism and “wow.” We are thrilled to be partnering with Sony Music Entertainment in order to amplify our mission and to bring beloved and new original content to families around the world.”
Tinkercast content and programming will be available on all major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Pocket Casts.
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution is finally giving us a sneak peak as to when we can expect some of the hottest new films. Like some of the successful films in the past, many will be available in theaters and through Disney+ with Premier Access simultaneously.
Get ready to welcome summer with titles that include Cruella, Black Widow, Luca and more! Keep scrolling to get all the details.
photo: Disney
When it comes to finally catching the live action Cruella starring Emma Stone, you can head to the theaters or tune in to Disney+ using Premier Access on Fri. Mar. 28. Is Marvel more your thing? You can do the same thing with the long-awaited Black Widow on Fri., Jul. 9.
Disney and Pixar’s Luca will stream directly in homes exclusively on Disney+ starting Fri., Jun. 18, and it’s bound to get you excited for summer. Theatrical release dates for more films include:
Free Guy on Aug. 13, 2021
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on Sept. 3, 2021
I was born in 1950, the youngest of five children in a white, working-class family living in a predominately blue-collar neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There were not many books in my household, but I distinctly remember the “Dick and Jane” series, which were the school textbooks that were used to teach reading, back in the day. And I definitely remember the illustrations and how the families in those books were portrayed.
Television shows like “Father Knows Best,” “The Donna Reed Show,” and “Ozzie and Harriet“reinforced a father’s image, always dressed in a suit and tie, which was not a common sight in my community. I remember asking my mother why my father or any of the dads we knew didn’t dress like the fathers represented in those books or on the TV shows we watched.
I have heard from friends who are Black describe what happened in their homes during that same time period when a person of color appeared on television… everyone in the family would excitedly come running to witness this rare occurrence.
These anecdotes illustrate a child’s natural inclination to look for a reflection of themselves in the world around them. This is what representation – or the portrayal of a person or group in books and other media—is all about.
And it matters!
Children need to see themselves included and represented, and that representation should be truthful and not based on stereotypes. How people are depicted shapes how they see themselves and how others see them. It also defines or limits possibilities that one can aspire to depending on whether the representation is positive or negative.
For those readers who responded to my recent blog: Should We Continue To Celebrate Dr. Seuss? with a “don’t like it, don’t read it” reaction, I would counter that continuing to publish children’s books with offensive illustrations sends the wrong message to anyone who comes across them. It is crucial for all children to be exposed to truthful and positive images, not just non-white children; otherwise, we as Americans have no chance at becoming a better nation where all are seen, heard, and treated equally.
I hold out little hope for any mutual understanding from those respondents who replied with hate and disdain to my posting.
But I was heartened to hear from people who said they reconsidered their impulse to roll their eyes at the Dr. Seuss news. While they frankly expressed fatigue at times with the reexamination of misguided and immoral thinking and actions from the past, they acknowledged that they had discovered some understanding of the power of representation with further consideration. Many offered that when they recognized the significance of negative and offensive illustrations and how they contribute to division and hate—which is on the rise—they realized this fatigue was nothing compared to what non-white individuals had and continue to experience.
I have always cringed when people talk about the “good old days.” While I have many fond memories of the past, I am quick to recognize that it was far from perfect. I acknowledge that women, people of color, and any group considered to be “other” had to be submissive in that past. And that there were unjust laws in place or the mores of the time that limited the freedom of many of our citizens. That history must be confronted and identified for what it was…wrong. Calling it out doesn’t cancel anything or take away from what was positive about those times, nor does it proclaim that everything nowadays is ideal and without reproach.
Fortunately, progress is being made and representation in books and other media is becoming more inclusive and more positive; that said, we need to be vigilant in looking honestly at the past, as well as critically at how people are represented going forward.
I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.
The 2000’s favorite girl-turned-cartoon is getting her own makeup collection! Even though Disney+ will not be hosting a Lizzie McGuire reboot, the sassy middle schooler has found a new way to infiltrate our modern lives.
The Disney Lizzie McGuire Collection comes withe everything you need to re-embrace your younger years. The entire collab comes in 2000’s-esque packaging that includes bright colors, flowers and of course, Lizzie’s cartoon counterpart.
Treat your little reader to a bundle of books for a good cause. Simon & Schuster’s Adams media is partnering with HumbleBumble to bring families a great deal on a collection of eBooks!
Starting Mar. 18, 2021, you can nab a bundle of up to 36 eBooks for as little as $1. That’s right—one dollar. All you need to do is name your bundle price.
For $1 you can choose up to eight eBooks that incclude titles such as 365 Ways to Live Green for Kids, Everything Kids’ Book of Outrageous Facts, Everything Kids’ Nature Book, How to Play Harmonica, Screen-Free Fun and more.
For $10 you can also unlock 11 additional reads, including 3D Origami Fun, Everything Kids’ Astronomy Book, and Project Garden. Increase the price you pay to $18 and unlock all 36 of the books. Along with the other top picks, you can also select from Advanced Roblox Coding Book; Dad’s Book of Awesome Science Experiments, Everything Kids’ Cookbook, Everything Kids’ Dinosaur Book and How to Play Ukulele.
Not only does your book bundle purchase give your child plenty to read, it also helps your fam do some good for others. All purchases raise money for the charity organization Worldreader, which supports underserved and vulnerable communities by providing digital reading solutions.
Visit HumbleBumble’s website here to order your bundle.
Common Sense Media and Apple Podcasts have partnered up to bring families the ultimate new feature. The duo just launched a new Kids & Family collection that brings the best podcasts for kids together in once place: apple.co/showforkids.
The Kids & Family collection is a curation of themed sets of new and popular shows. Each one is organized by age group, with every show having been researched by Common Sense Media.
Kids will get to heard content from amazing creators such as Tinkercast, American Public Media, Gen-Z Media, Pinna, Highlights, Tumble, WNYC Studios, Rebel Girls and Nickelodeon. The Kids & Family Collection is available in the U.S. and will be updated regularly.
Head to apple.co/showforkids, which will open up your Apple Podcasts app, then get listening!
