Review of Rise! From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou

I was recently given an opportunity to review a book  for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. I was gifted the book by publisher  Lee and Low Books Inc.  The book is titled 'Rise : From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou' and is authored by Bethany Hegedus and illustrated by Tonya Engel. 

Maya Angelou and her inspirational quotes have always intrigued me from my childhood. While I was familiar with a lot of the motivational messages she had for the world, this beautiful book opened my eyes to many more aspects of Ms. Angelou's difficult life.

From the first page itself, Bethany's writing strikes a chord with the subtle emotions of children dealing with hunger, an uncertain future and kindness from strangers. The next few pages cover difficult topics like racial tensions and being uprooted again to a new home, abuse, violence and sadness. While these are difficult topics for children to comprehend, they are the truth... and the reality with which countless children across the world deal with. Ms. Engel's illustrations capture your imagination and are filled with emotion.  

And finally Maya's life takes a turn... with the entry of books and the written word. The story takes an uplifting tone and I was captivated by Maya's rise. Despite struggles she takes step after step towards hope and a better tomorrow. Maya embarks on an exciting career in performing arts. There we see another aspect of her resilience as a single mom. And finally her life as an aspiring writer .. something every author including myself can totally relate to. Finally the book beautifully describes how Maya's activism and writing inspires the future generations to come as her words keep rising. 

While we bask in the comforts of happy picture books, it is important for kids to also be introduced to difficult topics and Ms. Hegedus does this with finesse and empathy. It was a teaching moment for me as well, as an adult. Many times we set goals and don't follow through... and then we hear of an inspirational story that inspires us all .. to Rise Again. Thank-you Bethany Hegedus and Low and Lee books for this opportunity to review this most wonderful book.    

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.  Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.MCBD 2020  is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board
Super PlatinumMake A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings, PlatinumLanguage Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls, GoldAudrey 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,BronzeAuthor 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 CloudJerry 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-HostsA 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 DayFree Multicultural Books for Teachers Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWzFree Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and EducatorsFree Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom KitTWITTER PARTY! Register here!
Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Ten Reasons to Watch the Short Film ~ Anaganaga Oka Nanna

US-based talented Writer and Director, Deepti Ganta's entrance into the world of film-making has started with a bang. Her short film, Anaganaga Oka Nanna is making strides with trending in the Top 10 list soon after it's release on YouTube on Father's day.  In this world of instant fame with social media and a continuous stream of entertainment that comes our way, it is important to acknowledge certain works of art that create impact. Looking forward to the next full-length movie by Ms. Ganta.  

So here are my top ten reasons on why you should watch this movie: 

(1) Originality ~ Beautifully written by Ms. Ganta, an original theme dedicated to fathers who are willing to stand up to societal norms and treat their sons and daughters equally.

(2) Strong Message ~ The message portrays the monumental difference that could be created with a change in perception. The movie is geared towards changing mindsets and the willingness to erase gender stereotypes.  

(3) Ace Performances ~ Each character is real and you can relate to the subtle emotions they experience.

(4) Peripheral messages ~  While the central theme is based on stereotypes, there are also peripheral messages that are beautifully conveyed relating to dowry and other social issues. (I am trying not to give it all away)

(5) Respectful ~ An important lesson in today's world is to disagree respectfully. While the protagonists disagree with the archaic style of thinking, the characters express that very tactfully, without being negative or critical.

(6) Crisp Transitions and Editing~  The story moves through  flashbacks and possibilities. The perfect editing makes the transitions so smooth that you can easily follow the story.

(7)  Cinematography and music~ The professional quality of the movie cannot be denied. In today's world where movies are created by the dozen, the quality is very evident. The background music is soothing as well. 

(8) Short and Sweet ~ All of 12 minutes, this movie does not have a single dull moment. Since time is of essence and one needs to pick what to watch.. you should certainly pick this movie as it can entertain and impact you at lightning speed.

(9) Beautiful Poetry rendition ~ The movie concludes with a beautiful poem by Siri Yarlagadda that is simple, yet conveys a resounding message of letting children be what they are...

(10) Motivational: And my top reason for hailing this film...  it is motivational, even if your own background is not the same and you do not relate to the theme. My father always treated me and my sister as stars and encouraged us to follow our dreams. He is my role-model and is the reason for my own success as an author. I was raised in a culturally forward part of India, called Goa, where girls do follow their dreams.. I also do not speak Telegu and the sub-titles helped me gain the full gist of the movie. 

However, there is an underlying theme that resounded with me strongly, sparking this post.... Sometimes we limit ourselves with restrictions we impose on ourselves....  if we were to change our attitude just one bit.. and let us believe that we could succeed or be something we want to be..... the narrative would totally change.. Wouldn't it?

Do not hold yourself back from a career or a choice that you are afraid to make.. Think about the times you held yourself back... and the next time you need to make a choice... choose right.. choose wisely! 

You can watch the movie on YouTube ~ Anaganaga Oka Nanna 

~ Lin Thomas

www.linthomas.com

TO DIY or not to DIY

I have always admired the DIY skills of some of my FaceBook friends. I have secretly wished to have had the time and talent to be able to churn out wonderful pieces of art that some people really seem to be so very talented at creating.

As usual there are a million reasons for me not to DIY. One prominent reason being the fact that a day has only 24 hours and my To-do lists already require way more hours than that on any given day. :-)   ... Who has the time to go to the crafts store when one can barely finish going through the grocery list !! Who can look at How -to Youtube videos when there are new movies on Netflix !! There is never a dearth of excuses if you need one, is there?

Pano - view of our room

Well, the month of December did have a pleasant surprise though. Not sure what exactly got to us .. maybe it was the holiday season or a combined creative bug in the family, that led us to embark on a huge project that brought out a lot of our DIY skills.  Presenting our home-made Christmas Nativity. The picture above is a panoramic view of our dining room/breakfast room.  The nativity brings in a lot of emotions for me, especially shopping for Nativity figurines during my childhood.

This started off as a very small project but grew and rapidly progressed to take up the entire room. The panoramic view above is a combined picture of that nativity from three angles.

Front view of the nativity

 The components are home made starting from the stable made of burlap. There are total of 85 characters including all the little animals. Card paper has been used a lot.




Closer View of Crib

There are a total of 30 unique materials ranging from Spanish moss, Soil, Yarn .. the list goes on. Every day a new excitement would be generated with my younger daughter's question being - what is my Nativity chore for today?  The ladder is made from yarn and was inspired by a painting of the nativity stable in one of the children's Christmas books at home.   The lantern is made of construction paper have flickering battery operated candles in it. The gifts from the 3 kings include my own jewelry.

Green Pastures

The grass that surrounds the stable was cultivated at home. The brick wall is foam board that is painted.

The well is a glass bowl covered with paper and then plaster cloth. The woman's clothes were tailored at home with some 5 minute You tube videos on how to make nativity clothes for kids.

The hill is made with several newspaper bundles


Close up of Lake and Haystack

The lake is metallic blue paper with plastic wrap. This section is on a glass table with lights tied below it to give a glow effect.

Town of Bethlehem

Bethlehem town view with numerous pieces.

Close-up of Bethlehem

Hand painted homes and DIY mountain with plaster cloth again...

Closer view

Lego toy and doll with DIY clothes and headgear. The homes are painted packaging material.

River Jordan with an Indian saree put to use. The boat is home made with spray paint and card paper.

Close up of Boat

Nativity with Lighting

 

So after the endless hours spent on the project and the huge team building activity for the family it seemed like a lot of fun. Ask me again and you will be sure to hear me say... Of course you must DIY..  We even won the first Prize at the St Jude Northern Virginia Crib competition. But most importantly, each time we look at our nativity, the Christmas spirit fills the house.. Definitely a wonderful nostalgic feeling .. Thanks to my DIY enthusiast friends who make home decorations, jewelry, bridal stuff - you name it ... I am inspired by you each time I catch up on FB  !




Home Made ~ Meat Spring Rolls - Kerala Style

                                             
The credit for this recipe goes to my sister's mom-in-law (Mary Mathew). The recipe makes wonderful use of a traditional Pallappam Chatti. I have personalized the recipe with my own additions. It tastes awesome when eaten immediately :-)
Ingredients

1) All purpose flour -2 cups
2) Salt -per taste
3) 1-2 eggs
4) Water - to achieve medium thin consistency. 
5) Oil to fry (extra virgin coconut oil,used in this case)

6) Filling of choice : Prepare any filling that you would use for Puffs/ Patties/ Spring rolls. I used a Beef filling with potatoes and chickpeas.  Any combination of sauteed julienne vegetables (cabbage , carrots -thinly cut -would work well as well)

Method:
1) First prepare the filling and keep it ready. This can be prepared per taste. I prepared a beef fry (olarthiyade) and ground it with a baked potato and cooked chick peas. Grind ingredients as desired.

Filling

 2) Mix together flour , eggs, salt and water to a thin consistency.

3) Preheat a Pallappam chatti (very popular in Kerala, India). If you do not have one, use a frying pan that is slightly deep. Pour one spoon of the batter into the center.

4) Swirl the pan/ chatti just like a Pallappam (basically hold the handles and rotate the pan clockwise) The batter will spread to form a thin pancake.

5) When the pancake is partially cooked flip it over and fill some filling. This can be done in a plate as well.

6) Fold the ends of the pancake to make a spring roll / puff as shown below.

7) Prepare additional rolls in the same mannerand keep them ready

8) Either deep fry the rolls (authentic spring rolls) or bake them in the oven (healthy version)

9) Your delicious spring rolls are ready to relish ..

Butternut Squash Dessert

Here is a recipe of a Special Thanksgiving dessert. This is the perfect season for butternut squash. This same recipe can be used on a pie shell as well.  

Ingredients
Butternut Squash (Boiled and mashed - 3 cups)
Low fat Condensed milk (1/2 can)
3 Eggs  (yolk optional)
Flour ( 2-3 tablespoons)
Butter / Olive oil - 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar -1.5 cups
Regular sugar 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence -2 tsp
Pinch of salt
Nutmeg powder (per taste - about 1/2 tsp)
Cinnamon powder (per taste - about 1/2 tsp)
Cranberries / Rice-Crispies for decoration.

Method:
1) Cream together  softened butter and sugar and beat together. Beat eggs and add to mixture.
2) Add condensed milk, flour,vanilla essence and mix.
3) Peel butternut squash and cut into pieces. Pressure cook butternut squash with little water.
4) Drain the water and blend it into a puree when cool. Picture below shows puree added to the mixture prepared in steps 1 and 2.

5) Mix ingredients, add nutmeg powder, salt and cinnamon powder. The picture below shows the final mixture. The butternut squash had an exceptionally brilliant hue this time. Usually it is slightly lighter in color but tastes just as good.

6) Lightly grease a Pan and pour this mixture into it. Lightly sprinkle some more nutmeg powder on the surface.
7) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake mixture for about 45 minutes or until a fork comes out clean from the center.
8) Remove from oven. Spread cranberries and rice-crispies for decoration. Note: Rice crispies should be added just before serving as they may get soggy if added earlier.
9) Cut into pieces and serve.

Few more cakes

Just found a few other pics that I didn't post as yet.. Here is a Disney Princess cake..

Disney Princess Cake

Pretty simple and straightforward ..  The castle is made from 2 layer cakes. I used two types of ice-cream cones for the castle. The regular cones as well as ice-cream cups. Dip the cones in sugar syrup and then coat them with purple sugar. It is easier than it looks :) 

The princesses are toppers from a Cake Store/party store. the rest is simple star decoration.

Another Birthday cake from a few years ago for Jose's birthday .. The cake stands are available in Micheals to help with the two layered cakes.

The flowers are made using a decoration tip. The writing is with red gel.

Spicy Apple drink

After focus on food for kids, turning my attention to something different ..  A Nice Apple drink with a dash of spice, perfect for a tired evening. It does not contain ice so it works well in Fall weather as well as a nice day like today. Don't miss the carrot hearts ... :-)

Apple Slices -2 apples
Baby Carrots - 10 -12
Small extra spicy chilly
Ginger Slices -3 to 4 (depends on taste)
1 spoon flaxmeal ( lowers cholesterol / high fiber)

1 glass fat free milk
3-4 tablespoons yoghurt

Beat all ingredients in a blender  with a dash of salt. Pour into a glass. Decorate and Serve (Easy and delicious) I cut out carrots in the shape of hearts. In the pic below they are resting on a slice of apple through which I pierced the umbrella cocktail decoration.

Homemade Pizza ~ Yum; Healthy Toppings ~ Priceless

If you ask a group of kids what their favorite food is, chances are high that a lot of them would say PIZZA. How convenient to pick up the phone and 'Order Pizza' for kids or adults at any party. Last Christmas thanks to a game of Secret Santa, I was blessed with a Pizza Stone. Needless to say, the experimentation began. My hubby's teeth are still in reasonable shape but I have finally arrived at the recipe which works best and I am pleased to share that with you all. Happy Experimenting ! ..Btw the Pizza Stone is not mandatory, it just adds flavor. It is available on sale at Macy's occassionally. 

Home made Pizza

Ingredients

Yeast (1 pkt)

Flour 3-4 cups

Olive oil -2 tablespoons

Salt per taste

Sugar -1 tsp

1 Egg (optional)

Cornmeal (1 tblsp)

Tomato Sauce - Pasta/Pizza sauce or homemade (Tomatoes, veggies, spices, nuts)

Toppings of your choice: Onions, Boneless cooked chicken(salt /lime/spices), Pineapple, Mozarella cheese. (Other choices range from Brocolli, Mushroom, Spinach, Bell Peppers, (If you are looking for protein sources then  meat, All natural hotdogs, sausages, pepperonni etc. )

1. First mix 2 and half tsp of Yeast (1 small packet) with 1 tsp of sugar in a bowl and add 1 cup of lukewarm water to it. After 15 mins the yeast will rise as shown below.

2. Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour (you can chose organic/ unbleached etc) and mix it. Add salt per taste (about 1 small tsp) and mix it.

3. Add 1 egg to the mixture above. (egg is optional -it makes the bread softer, skip the yolk if you wish to) . Add another 1-2 cups of flour , 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix. Add water if necessary to get a medium consistency.

4. Cover with a moist cloth and keep it for 2 hours. The dough will rise very nicely. Mix it again and then keep it for another 30 minutes.

5. Prep your toppings. This is the time you have a chance to pretty much chose anything you or your kids love. Shown below are onions, sliced boneless chicken , pineapple and cubed mozarella cheese.

6. Tomato sauce :- This can be made in several ways. You can modify pasta/pizza sauce, or you can make your own depending on time. Feel free with experimenting with the ingredients like Parsley, Mushrooms, Fried Onions, Basil in the sauce. Remember to peel the skin of the tomatoes after boiling tomatoes in water and before grinding it. For this pizza I added cashewnuts and pistas because my kids don't like nuts a lot, so this is one way of getting them to eat it.

7. Sprinkle  corn meal on the pizza stone. Do not substitute with flour (I tried it). Flour works well with cakes but with pizza, corn meal helps it to separate from the stone. It also adds a little flavor.

7. Roll the dough to almost fill the pizza stone. Fold the edges slightly upwards so it forms a rim.

9. Spread the tomato sauce, add cheese (shredded mozarella works well) and add all your favorite toppings.  As mentioned above, this pizza has cooked boneless chicken (sauteed with lime, salt), pineapple, onions and cubed mozeralla cheese.

10. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes until well done.

11. Keep to cool for 10 minutes before slicing it.

Note : Experiment with other toppings of your choice - Spinach, Mushrooms, Brocolli etc. You can also add veggies that children do not generally eat in the tomato sauce mix.

Pictured below is another Pizza made with the all-time favorite pepperonni, (without BHT), brocolli, mushroom ,shredded mozarella and onions.

Hope you liked the recipe. Please leave your comments or like the facebook page YayLearner-Facebook if you liked this recipe.