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Seven years in, MCBD’s mission to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.
I am honored to be a part again of this wonderful literary event as a book reviewer for "Sumo Joe" by Mia Wenjen, a gold sponsor for this event.
to author Mia Wenjen for gifting me the book
for this review. It will be donated to my daughter's kindergarten class, the perfect age group to enjoy this story.
What a fun and delightful read with a refreshing take on martial arts for young kids. Mia Wenjen's debut picture book “Sumo Joe,” geared for ages 5-6, is a testament to gender equality and inclusiveness. It is published by Lee and Low Books and illustrated by Nat Iwata.
Sumo Joe, a Japanese American, is a strong big brother with a gentle spirit who loves sumo wrestling. His two friends of color come over to practice some Japanese sumo rituals and drills while his sister Jo goes off to her aikido class. When she returns from her practice, she challenges her brother to a match despite the fact she is younger, smaller and wants to join in on a boy- only- place, the ring. Once Jo's brother Sumo Joe agrees to a match she confidently uses her aikido, Japanese martial arts training, to her advantage. Readers will find Jo's spunk and her competitive spirit empowering as she takes on her brother for a sumo wrestling match.
Nat Iwata is an artist working in the entertainment industry. Nat has practiced a little aikido but has yet to try sumo wrestling. He lives in the beautiful Dutch city of Haarlem with his wife and three boys, all of whom serve as an endless source of encouragement and inspiration. You can visit him online at iwataillustration.com
Iwata's illustrations seamlessly compliment the story line. His colorful and diverse illustrations are lively and seem to burst with energy on each page. He has created a realistic looking background young readers can relate to such as using the living room with props to create a sacred ring for practicing sumo rituals and drills.
Author Mia Wenjen is an entrepreneur and a blogger at Pragmatic Mom, https://www.pragmaticmom.com/, a popular online resource for parents and educators about diverse children's picture books through middle grades. As the co-founder of Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Mia is passionate about representation in children’s picture books. She co-authored with Alison Foley H OW TO COACH GIRL, which won a Silver Award at the 31st annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™. BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 reviews some of Mia's favorite books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books. In her spare time she can be found boxing or on hikes with her dog. Mia lives in Newton, Massachusetts, with her husband and three children.
Connect up with Mia via social media
Instagram: PragmaticMom, Twitter: PragmaticMom, Pinterest: PragmaticMom, FaceBook: PragmaticMom, LinkedIn: Mia Wenjen, YouTube: Mia Wenjen
Author Mia Wenjen
The storyline covers themes of sibling rivalry, childhood experiences, Asian/American interests, conflict resolution, imagination and culturally diverse families. Young readers can easily understand and follow along with unfamiliar concepts as Wenjen writes a sparse, rhythmic poetic text with appropriate vocabulary for the intended age group. Helpful cultural notes and terminology can be found in the back glossary as well as an author's page. Here readers can learn more about the traditions associated with Sumo, the ancient Japanese sport of wrestling and aikido.
Sumo Joe, a Japanese American, is a strong big brother with a gentle spirit who loves sumo wrestling. His two friends of color come over to practice some Japanese sumo rituals and drills while his sister Jo goes off to her aikido class. When she returns from her practice, she challenges her brother to a match despite the fact she is younger, smaller and wants to join in on a boy- only- place, the ring. Once Jo's brother Sumo Joe agrees to a match she confidently uses her aikido, Japanese martial arts training, to her advantage. Readers will find Jo's spunk and her competitive spirit empowering as she takes on her brother for a sumo wrestling match.
Iwata's illustrations seamlessly compliment the story line. His colorful and diverse illustrations are lively and seem to burst with energy on each page. He has created a realistic looking background young readers can relate to such as using the living room with props to create a sacred ring for practicing sumo rituals and drills.
Author Mia Wenjen is an entrepreneur and a blogger at Pragmatic Mom, https://www.pragmaticmom.com/, a popular online resource for parents and educators about diverse children's picture books through middle grades. As the co-founder of Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Mia is passionate about representation in children’s picture books. She co-authored with Alison Foley H OW TO COACH GIRL, which won a Silver Award at the 31st annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™. BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 reviews some of Mia's favorite books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books. In her spare time she can be found boxing or on hikes with her dog. Mia lives in Newton, Massachusetts, with her husband and three children.
Instagram: PragmaticMom, Twitter: PragmaticMom, Pinterest: PragmaticMom, FaceBook: PragmaticMom, LinkedIn: Mia Wenjen, YouTube: Mia Wenjen
As a former classroom teacher I find “Sumo Joe” to be a wonderful classroom resource. It can be a springboard for discussions on gender equality in sports, inclusiveness and respectfulness. In addition some students may have some experience in Japanese martial arts and be willing to demonstrate their skills.
"Sumo Joe" is the perfect book to reenact favorite scenes and/or rituals and drills as shown in the text.
MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board
"Sumo Joe" is the perfect book to reenact favorite scenes and/or rituals and drills as shown in the text.
MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board
Super Platinum
Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,
Platinum
Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,
Gold
Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,
Silver
Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,
Bronze
Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books, Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales
Author Sponsor Link Cloud
Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series Green Kids Club, Inc.
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, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews
FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz
Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit
Book Reviewer
Sue Ready is a freelance writer, poet and former middle school and elementary teacher. She is the chair for Northwoods Arts Council in Hackensack, MN and chair for the book arts Northwoods Art and Book Festival. Sue writes a twice monthly food column for a local newspaper and blogs at sockfairies.blogspot.com
Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,
Platinum
Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,
Gold
Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,
Silver
Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,
Bronze
Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books, Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales
Author Sponsor Link Cloud
Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series Green Kids Club, Inc.
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, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews
FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz
Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit
Book Reviewer
Sue Ready is a freelance writer, poet and former middle school and elementary teacher. She is the chair for Northwoods Arts Council in Hackensack, MN and chair for the book arts Northwoods Art and Book Festival. Sue writes a twice monthly food column for a local newspaper and blogs at sockfairies.blogspot.com
I may need to pick up this book to read to my granddaughter. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking the time to review my debut picture book in such a thoughtful and insightful way. I so appreciate you donating your copy to your child's class as well. Thank you also for your support of Multicultural Children's Book Day!
ReplyDelete