Friday, January 25, 2019

Review of the beautiful book: Teach Us Your Name





The book, Teach Us Your Name is a lovely, illustrated book who teaches, in a meaningful way, how kids can teach others how to say their names correctly. The main character of the story is a girl named Kareemalayaseenadeen. Kareemalayaseenadeen does not like her name. She does not like that others can't pronounce it correctly, thinks is too long. On a trip to see her grandma, the girl talked, with her grandma, about how she felt regarding her name. Her grandma told her that her name had a beautiful meaning and that she should be proud to have it, The grandma also told Kareemalayaseenadeen that most likely other persons couldn't say her name correctly because they didn't know how to pronounce it and encouraged her to teach others how to pronounce her name correctly. The girl loved the idea that her grandma told her and when she got back home, she did just that... teach others how to pronounce her name the right way. The girl grew up and became a teacher, and every year at the beginning of the school year, Kareemalayaseenadeen takes time and encourage her students to teach others how to pronounce their name correctly.
This book touched me personally. As a Latina, I have had trouble with people trying to pronounce my name in the correct way. Is sometimes frustrated to see how people mispronounce it. I like Kareemalayaseenadeen, also take the time to teach others how to pronounce Tere, my name, correctly.
This is a great book to help children understand that every name is beautiful and that is perfectly fine to teach others how to pronounce it right and that others will appreciate learning the correct way of saying it.

Huda Essa is the author of this book. She is a TED Speaker and Consultant. She focuses her work on building empathy and engaging in equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.
Diana Cojocaru is the illustrator of this beautiful book. She is a freelance illustrator.




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 Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 (1/25/19) is in its 6th 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

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

Author Janet BallettaAuthor Kathleen BurkinshawAuthor Josh FunkChitra SoundarOne Globe Kids – Friendship StoriesSociosights Press and Almost a MinyanKaren LeggettAuthor Eugenia ChuCultureGroove BooksPhelicia Lang and Me On The PageL.L. WaltersAuthor Sarah StevensonAuthor Kimberly Gordon BiddleHayley BarrettSonia PanigrahAuthor Carolyn Wilhelm, Alva Sachs and Dancing DreidelsAuthor Susan Bernardo, Milind Makwana and A Day in the Life of a Hindu KidTara WilliamsVeronica AppletonAuthor Crystal BoweDr. Claudia MayAuthor/Illustrator Aram KimAuthor Sandra L. RichardsErin DealeyAuthor Sanya Whittaker GraggAuthor Elsa TakaokaEvelyn Sanchez-ToledoAnita BadhwarAuthor Sylvia LiuFeyi Fay AdventuresAuthor Ann MorrisAuthor Jacqueline JulesCeCe & Roxy BooksSandra Neil Wallace and Rich WallaceLEUYEN PHAMPadma VenkatramanPatricia Newman and Lightswitch LearningShoumi SenValerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Traci SorellShereen RahmingBlythe StanfelChristina MatulaJulie RubiniPaula ChaseErin TwamleyAfsaneh MoradianClaudia SchwamLori DeMoniaTerri Birnbaum/ RealGirls RevolutionSoulful SydneyQueen 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

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Make A Way Media!

MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be held 1/25/19 at 9:00pm.E.S.T. TONS of prizes and book bundles will be given away during the party. GO HERE for more details.

Sunday, November 18, 2018

30 reasons I’m thankful for...







1. being alive. 
2. breathing every day. 
3. the chance to see the sun every morning. 
4. my two sons and all the experiences I have lived with them. 
5. my parents and their love and teachings
6. all the experiences I have lived (good and bad ones). 
7. those people that love me no matter what. 
8. being able to make some kind of difference in people through my work. 
9. listening to a beautiful song. 
10. admiring the immensity of the night sky. 
11. smelling the scent of the rain when it’s approaching. 
12. feeling my dog’s fur while I caressed her. 
13. having a new chance to live after having a nearly death experience. 
14. my friends who chose me to be part of their lives. 
15. my writing because it lets me express myself and share my feelings with the world. 
16. my life before my divorce because it taught me how to be strong. 
17. the special needs child I tutor because he taught me how simple is to love. 
18. special moments lived with special people
19. the music which I dance to. 
20. laughing every day, even in my sorrow. 
21. the tears I have shed. 
22. the strangers I see every day that share with me their smile. 
23. all those people that aren’t part of my life anymore because, from them, I have learned a lesson. 
24. getting safe back home every day
25. the day that isn’t going well because makes me appreciate the good ones. 
26. those moments I have failed because helped me grow as a person. 
27. the days I doubt myself a little because it made me believe in myself more. 
28. being loved, understood, and respected. 
29. loving with all my heart. 
30. just opening my eyes every morning because I have one more day to live. 

Take care and be thankful, Tere



Wednesday, October 3, 2018

To the man who said I couldn’t be or accomplished anything... on the Domestic Violence Awareness month 













October is the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and I want to say some things to that man that told me many, many, many times that I was nothing and that I couldn’t or wouldn’t be or accomplished anything.
You, the one that thought I couldn’t do anything, couldn’t be someone. Even more, you, the one that made me believe I couldn’t achieve anything...
Here I am, almost 6 years later after I ended our relationship and I have achieved way more than you can imagine. I am a woman with multiple roles in my life. Roles that I embrace every single day:
    I am a mother, a single one, who for the past 6 years (without counting all the ones before) has been a mom and a dad, loving and caring my sons.
    I am a published author with 3 published books and an award. Ha, and you thought that no one will publish my books.
    I am a mental health therapist and to think that you told me that I will never graduate from my masters.
    I am a teacher who tutors kids and love interacting and teaching them. Funny, you said I was too shy to do that kind of thing.
    I am a daughter who loves and takes care of their parents even on the distance, and you said I was a bad daughter because I was leaving them.
    I am a good friend to my friends who appreciate having me in their life. Yes, I have friends who I see whenever I want.
    I am a woman in love with my body. I’m not too fat for the view of anyone.
    I am a woman confident of my sexuality, no despise involved or wondering if I am woman enough.
    I am a woman who can awaken beautiful feelings of a man towards her. Yes, is not like you said: "If it's not me, no one can."
    I am a smart woman who can handle different roles, who can have intelligent conversations, and who likes to learn every day. I'm not dumb or stupid.
    I am a woman with a good sense of humor who likes to see life from the bright side and love to laugh. (I’m thankful that even with the worst things I lived beside you; you never took my smile or laughter away).
Even more, I am a happy, amazing, confident, smart, funny, caring, good-hearted woman who tries to live her life to the fullest, wearing a smile on her face every day, and is thankful for all that she is today.

I am way more of what you thought I would be. And you know what? There’s way more to come.
Stay tuned...

Take care, Tere









Friday, August 24, 2018

Reflection of one more year living...









This is a special month for me; it’s the month of my birthday. My special day is on the 20th. As part of my celebrations, I’m writing about what I have learned in this past year. I had different experiences, some good ones, other scary ones, and a lot of special moments. From all of them, I have learned something.









 I have learned...

That even when you don’t receive the same kind of love from someone,
your love it’s not ever wasted.









To say no and not feel guilty about it.
That, sadly, sometimes friendships are questionable but, also, that sometimes friends can be more of a family than your own one.
To be thankful for what I have and not have.
To be grateful for those who care for me in special ways.
To admire even more my parents in their role as grandparents.
To be more than grateful when you get one more chance to live.
That's never too late to get your dream job.
That in order to be creative, one must create (in my case, writing) every single day.
To say what you feel and never regret doing it.
That actions really speak more than words.
That there are not better smells than the smell of the rain and the sea breeze.
That you can learn a lot from a disabled kid.
That the most beautiful smiles come from the heart.
That there’s no better way to laugh than when you do it out loud and to don’t minding that someone is looking at you.
To dance, dance, dance anytime you feel like it, with or without music.
That sometimes people need to fail real bad in order to learn a lesson.
That there’s great joy in teaching others.
To be grateful to others even for the smallest gesture.
To care for others from your heart.
That even though you have deep scars in your heart, you can continue living and loving. 
To don’t be scared to love, even if you think the outcome won’t be the one you wish will be.
To love, laugh, and be thankful every day.
                                                                  

   Tere Rodriguez-Nora

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

I am ME!





I am the voice to be heard
I am the book that will be written
I am the moonlight that shines on a lake 
I am the song to be sing
I am the music to be dance
I am those vibrant colors that match the countryside 
I am those lights that twinkle in the sky 
I am that kid who plays without worries 
I am the come and go of the waves in the vibrant blue sea 
I am like those different tones of orange that paint the sky in a beautiful sunset 
I am the fresh scent of the rain when it touches the ground
I am that giggle of a couple in love 
I am that look a mom gives to her child 
I am whatever I want to be
I am ME
                                               Tere Rodriguez-Nora