MCBD 2019 Book Reviews: Albie Newton, How to Code a Sandcastle, & Ahni and Her Dancing Secret

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. Their 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. You can visit the MCBD website or see my blog post for more information about the event as well as a list of sponsors and co-hosts.
 
I am so excited and honored to be participating in MCBD 2019 as a reviewer for the first time! I'm looking forward to spending today celebrating diversity and helping to raise young readers' awareness of and appreciation for cultures that are different from their own by reviewing some great picture books!

{ The authors very kindly provided copies of their books for me to review for MCBD 2019, which is very much appreciated but did not influence the following honest reviews. }



Albie Newton
by Josh Funk; illustrated by Ester Garay

Available as: hardcover
Pages: 32
Publisher: Sterling
Publication date: May 1, 2018
Suggested tags: picture book, school, makers



From Goodreads:

"Meet Albie Newton: child genius. He’s a whiz at inventing things. But is he inventive enough to figure out how to make friends?

When precocious inventor Albie Newton enters a new preschool, he concocts the perfect plan for making friends. Unfortunately, it involves stealing the hamster’s wheel, snatching the wings off of Dave’s toy airplane, and generally making a giant mess. Now everyone’s angry at Albie! Will his new invention delight the other kids enough to make everything right—and finally win their friendship? "

I don't think there has ever been a sweeter and more adorable little genius! I loved Albie! As a baby, he took his stroller apart and rebuilt it. As a toddler, he cried because he couldn't get to infinity when he was counting. Now, he learns a new language almost every week and is starting at a new school.

How should he make friends?... By making something, of course! Too bad all his hard work interferes with everyone else's activities ... even Hamilton the hamster's! Just when all the other kids are getting ready to confront him about his actions, they realize that maybe Albie had good intentions all along...

I loved this book all the way through, but the surprise ending brought a big smile to my face - it's too perfect! The rhyming story just begs to be read aloud - the rhymes are clever and roll right off your tongue in a perfect rhythm. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, and the kids are all so stinking adorable. Their classroom is a happy and diverse one, and I liked that they were able to resolve their frustrations with Albie by themselves, without a teacher having to interfere. I can see this one being a hit at storytime, bedtime, or anytime!

Final verdict: I loved it! I thought this book was great! I might buy it for myself and I would definitely recommend it to others.




How to Code a Sandcastle
by Josh Funk; illustrated by Sara Palacios

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition
Pages: 44
Publisher: Viking / Penguin
Publication date: May 15, 2018
Suggested tags: picture book, beach, coding



From Goodreads:

"From the computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code comes this lively and funny story introducing kids to computer coding concepts.

Pearl and her trusty rust-proof robot, Pascal, need to build a sandcastle before summer vacation is over, and they’re going to do it using code. Pearl breaks the big we-need-a-sandcastle problem into smaller steps, then uses conditionals, loops, and other basic coding concepts to tell Pascal exactly what to do. But building a sandcastle isn’t as easy as it sounds when surfboards, mischievous dogs, and coding mishaps get in the way! Just when it looks like the sandcastle might never work, Pearl uses her coding skills to save the day and create something even better: a gorgeous sandcastle kingdom!"

Pearl wants to build a sandcastle, but things keep interfering. So she decides to use her robot, Pascal, to help her find a way around her problems using code to tell Pascal what to do. She teaches us some basic coding skills, and as she learns what works and what doesn't, we as readers do too. The story is educational, but it never gets boring or feels like a lecture - the way the coding is woven into the story is logical and entertaining. Pearl and Pascal's Guide to Coding at the back of the book helps to further explain the coding elements in the story in a way that is simple and easy to understand, even for those with limited coding experience (like me!).

I thought Pearl's attitude about the whole sandcastle situation was relatable yet inspiring: sometimes she starts to get upset when things aren't going right, but she quickly cheers up and faces the problems head-on to come up with a solution. The beach itself is a fun and diverse setting, showing lots of different kinds of people and families and their activities. And there are so many funny moments - such as when Pascal's coding doesn't work out quite right and he brings back strange items to decorate the sandcastle, or when Ada Puglace the pug comes along and - oh no - pees on the sandcastle!

Final verdict: I loved it! I thought this book was great! I might buy it for myself and I would definitely recommend it to others.



Ahni and Her Dancing Secret
by Shereen Rahming; illustrated by Jeff Vernon

Available as: paperback
Pages: 32
Publisher: Read & Glow Books
Publication date: 2016
Suggested tags: picture book, dance, self-confidence



From Goodreads:

"Ahni dreams of being a prima ballerina so she joins Madam Sabina's dance school. But her spirit is soon broken when she discovers that the other students are far more advanced than she is and not as friendly as she expected. This charming story depicts the journey of little Ahni from an unsure hopeful to a confident dancer, by discovering the secret to success with the help of wise Madam Sabina."

Ahni has a passion for dance, but she doesn't quite have the talent yet. Her fellow dancers, a diverse group of students, make fun of her dance moves at first. She runs away crying, but she finds Madam Sabina, who teaches her that with hard work and determination, she'll soon be the dancer she wants to be.

The illustrations here are very bright and colorful, matching Ahni's spirit and enthusiasm. The illustrator's style seems to be larger heads that aren't quite proportionate with the characters' bodies, which distracted me a bit, but the movements of the dancers are captured nicely. This is a rhyming story, but the lines sometimes seemed to change rhythm a bit, so at some points it didn't flow as easily for me when I read it out loud. Ultimately, my favorite thing about this book was the message. Ahni discovers that the secret to success, her "dancing secret," lies within herself. Madam Sabina teaches her how to envision her goal, believe in herself, and work hard to achieve her dreams. There is a spread where Ahni envisions herself as a soccer player, a teacher, and even the president! I can see those pages sticking in the minds of young girls, helping them to believe in their own goals.

Final verdict: I liked it! I thought this book was good! I enjoyed reading it and I would probably recommend it to others.


So that's my celebration of MCBD 2019! You can join in with the hashtag #ReadYourWorld! And there's a Twitter Party at 9pm TONIGHT!! Hope to see you there!