[Diverse Kidlit] Meet Lola who Loves Reading and Stories

Myra here.

Our theme for this #DiverseKidLit is #ownvoices. The #ownvoices hashtag was created to draw attention to diverse authors and illustrators who are creating books that honor their own heritage and experiences. (As always, the theme is only a suggestion. Diverse posts on alternate topics are always welcome.)

What Is #DiverseKidLit?

Diverse Children’s Books is a book-sharing meme designed to promote the reading and writing of children’s books that feature diverse characters. This community embraces all kinds of diversity including (and certainly not limited to) diverse, inclusive, multicultural, and global books for children of all backgrounds.

We encourage everyone who shares to support this blogging community by visiting and leaving comments for at least three others. Please also consider following the hosts on at least one of their social media outlets. Spread the word using #diversekidlit and/or adding our button to your site and your diverse posts.

We hope this community serves as a resource for parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and authors! Our next linkup will be Saturday, November 4th and the first Saturday of each month.

Upcoming Theme

Themes are a suggestion only; all diverse book posts are welcome. Do you have a suggestion for a future theme? Share your ideas with us at katie at thelogonauts dot com.

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

The most-clicked post from the previous #diversekidlit was, apparently, my linkup post about Remembering Auschwitz through a picture book and a graphic novel. This post shares two powerful resources about the Holocaust in general, and Auschwitz specifically, as well as links to other sources.

Welcome, Bethany!

#diversekidlit is excited to welcome new host, Bethany, of Biracial Bookworms. Bethany is an educator, blogger, world traveler, wife, and mom to two wonderful girls who inspired her web site. You can read more about her and her family here. We are thrilled to have Bethany joining our community as a host and advocate! Please follow here online: Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram / Goodreads.

We are celebrating books about books, books about reading, books about stories, libraries, booksellers, librarians for our #MetaReading theme until end of October. I am glad to know this spunky little girl who loves books most of all, through our current reading theme.

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Lola Loves Stories

Written by: Anna McQuinn Illustrated by: Rosalind Beardshaw
Published by: Charlesbridge, 2010 ISBN: 1580892582 (ISBN13: 9781580892582)
Borrowed from the Jurong West Public Library. Book photos taken by me. 

The book begins with Lola’s father taking her to the library – this is their usual routine on Saturdays. From the first page alone, the book creators have already established how this young girl has formed a reading identity based on the activities that their family clearly values: library visits, borrowing books, reading together.

Lola borrows a few books which she and her parents would read throughout the week. The books serve as her inspiration on what she wishes to be that week: from a fairy princess to a farmer to a little builder.

What makes this picturebook work for me apart from the unabashed and highly enthusiastic celebration of reading is the dismantling of gender stereotypes without making too big a deal of it – in fact, it’s a non-issue altogether. We need more stories like these!

Lola Reads To Leo

Written by: Anna McQuinn Illustrated by: Rosalind Beardshaw
Published by: Charlesbridge, 2012 ISBN: 1580894046 (ISBN13: 9781580894043)
Borrowed from the Jurong West Public Library. Book photos taken by me. 

In the continuation of the Lola series, Lola becomes a big sister to Leo! Even while Leo was still in her mother’s womb, Lola made sure that she was already reading aloud to her baby brother.

I particularly appreciated the tenderness of the illustrations and how there was just so much touching, movement, and affection openly expressed among the family members. And throughout all of this, one could find an open book shared readily by everyone.

I also loved how Lola would often turn to a book for each new activity that Leo would do, be it bathing or being sleepy or whenever Leo needs changing: it appears as if there is always a book for whatever Leo is going through! Written in very simple language and with lush colourful illustrations, this is an easy-to-read book that is perfect for any older sibling preparing for the coming of a new baby.

For those who would like to know more about Lola, check out the other books in the series:

#DiverseKidLit is Hosted by:

Want to be notified when the next #diversekidlit linkup goes live? Click here to join the mailing list. Interested in joining as a host or an occasional co-host? Contact katie at thelogonauts.com.

(Never participated in a linkup before? Please click here for a more detailed step-by-step.)

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