Olokun of the Galaxy - A Book Review

Olokun of the Galaxy is a poetry and visual arts book written by award-winning author Esther Iverem.  The book centers around an African spirit of the ocean who protects the ocean and honors the Maafa (middle passage) and all those millions who died during the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.

When I initially picked up the book and started reading, I had no idea what was going on and neither did my son.  However, after reading the background, it all made sense.  Context is everything.  The opportunity to review this book is quite divine.  As a part of our homeschool we are studying world religion and African spiritual systems.  So it was no accident that I received this book.

Olokun is no ordinary children's book.  It's history, astronomy, oceanography, science fiction, art and religion all rolled into one.  One reading will hardly scratch the surface.  So vast are the layers, that Olokun must be read once for visualization, again for vocabulary, then history and so on.  It's so rich that a unit study around the book could last a week or a semester.  Olokun will have  readers thinking deeply about the earth and our responsibility to it.

Olokun, African Spirit of the Deepest Ocean

I'm not sure I would read this with a younger child because of the graphic descriptions around the Maafa.  I'd say middle school and up.  Esther Iverem, who is also an artist and curator, developed Olokun to feature a series of art figures she creates from reclaimed pants (pictured above).  These award-winning "pant dolls" have been exhibited across the US since 2012.  It is difficult to find African American literature for young children that weaves African history, nature and fantasy, says Iverem. "I am excited to see Olokun of the Galaxy be a story that gives children a narrative that combines historical fact and fantasy, educates about protecting Earth and explores mysteries of the universe."

This review is a part of the 5th Annual Multicultural Book Day.  See more information below:

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 (1/27/18) is in its 5^th 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 home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.  

Current Sponsors:  MCBD 2018 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board. 

2018 MCBD Medallion Sponsors

HONORARY: Children’s Book Council, Junior Library Guild 

PLATINUM:Scholastic Book Clubs

GOLD:Audrey Press, Candlewick Press, Loving Lion Books, Second Story Press, Star Bright Books, Worldwide Buddies

SILVER:Capstone Publishing, Author Charlotte Riggle, Child’s Play USA, KidLit TV, Pack-n-Go Girls, Plum Street Press

BRONZE: Barefoot Books, Carole P. Roman, Charlesbridge Publishing, Dr. Crystal Bowe, Gokul! World, Green Kids Club, Gwen Jackson, Jacqueline Woodson, Juan J. Guerra, Language Lizard, Lee & Low Books, RhymeTime Storybooks, Sanya Whittaker Gragg, TimTimTom Books, WaterBrook & Multnomah, Wisdom Tales Press

2018 Author Sponsors

Honorary Author Sponsors: Author/Illustrator Aram Kim and Author/Illustrator Juana Medina

Author Janet Balletta, Author Susan Bernardo,  Author Carmen Bernier-Grand, Author Tasheba Berry-McLaren and Space2Launch, Bollywood Groove Books, Author Anne Broyles,  Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Eugenia Chu, Author Lesa Cline-Ransome, Author Medeia Cohan and Shade 7 Publishing, Desi Babies, Author Dani Dixon and Tumble Creek Press, Author Judy Dodge Cummings, Author D.G. Driver, Author Nicole Fenner and Sister Girl Publishing, Debbi Michiko Florence, Author Josh Funk, Author Maria Gianferrari, Author Daphnie Glenn, Globe Smart Kids, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Author Quentin Holmes, Author Esther Iverem, Jennifer Joseph: Alphabet Oddities, Author Kizzie Jones, Author Faith L Justice , Author P.J. LaRue and MysticPrincesses.com, Author Karen Leggett Abouraya, Author Sylvia Liu, Author Sherri Maret, Author Melissa Martin Ph.D., Author Lesli Mitchell, Pinky Mukhi and We Are One, Author Miranda Paul, Author Carlotta Penn, Real Dads Read, Greg Ransom, Author Sandra L. Richards, RealMVPKids Author Andrea Scott, Alva Sachs and Three Wishes Publishing, Shelly Bean the Sports Queen,  Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Gayle H. Swift Author Elsa Takaoka, Author Christine Taylor-Butler, Nicholette Thomas and  MFL Publishing  Author Andrea Y. Wang, Author Jane Whittingham  Author Natasha Yim

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.

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Scholastic Book Clubs: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be held 1/27/18 at 9:00pm.

Join the conversation and win one of 12-5 book bundles and one Grand Prize Book Bundle (12 books) that will be given away at the party! http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/twitter-party-great-conversations-fun-prizes-chance-readyourworld-1-27-18/

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teacher-classroom-empathy-kit/

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Pairing Audio Books with the Hard Copy Book To Get Children Reading

Kwame Alexander, the award-winning author of Lionheart's favorite book

In a rush to get Lionheart ready for his Creative Writing class last fall, I checked out the required book from the library.  Because Lionheart started late and had to cover a lot of chapters in a short amount of time, I checked out the audio book too.  He loves stories, but doesn't always like to sit down with a good book.  I had no idea what would happen next.  He read the entire book in one night.  Actually, I fell asleep and he woke me up at 1 a.m. to excitedly tell me he had finished the entire book.  It was Crossover by Kwame Alexander.  I was on to something.

It filled me with such joy to see him sitting and actually enjoying the book, as opposed to laboring through the assignment because he had to do it.  For some right brain learners, reading uses what Diane Craft calls "a lot of battery energy," and can suck the joy out of reading in the process. No child will learn to love something that leaves them depleted by the time they are done.  When I pair the audio book with the hard copy book, Lionheart listens to the story and he follows along in the book.  In the process, he is developing the skill of creating a movie in his head, which aids in comprehension, according to Diane Craft.  When it was time to finish the last two chapters of The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street, Lionheart said to me, "I wish this book were a movie!" Then he asked if I could find a sequel. This is just what I wanted.  More importantly, as he follows along in the book, he is exposed to challenging vocabulary and proper pronunciation. What I love most about pairing the audiobook with the hard copy book is that we get to experience the book together.  When it's time for a comprehension discussion, we can have meaningful dialogue because I've essentially read the book too.

When I plunked down the next reading, As Brave As You, by Jason Reynolds, instead of moaning, he was excited about the sheer size of the book.  When I broke out the audio book, he smiled and rubbed his hands together and said, "Let's go!"  That is precisely the reaction I want to elicit about books, not drudgery.  What's extra special about this book is that we'll also get to meet the author, Jason Reynolds, who happens to be the friend of a fellow homeschool dad.

Another important benefit to pairing audio books with hard copy books is that I can help him understand heavy topics.  When we read the story of Claudette Colvin, I'm sure we'll be pausing the CD a lot and I'll be answering lots of questions.  Through this process, I see his vocabulary and reading comprehension expand with each book he completes.  My vocabulary expanded in much the same way.  I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. I had to attend Bible study, Theocratic Ministry and Sunday was the Kingdom Hall (think church service).   To keep from being bored, I followed along in whatever printed material was being used by the speaker and along the way learned all kinds of words.  I recall being the only person in my 2nd grade class that knew how to spell reign, rain and rein - all from reading along.  My goal is to develop a love of reading.  I am confident that eventually he'll gravitate toward the hard copy book without the audio book.  In the meantime, I'll keep digging for great books that have an audio book companion.

Trombone Shorty

Youth Orchestra Petting Zoo

Lionheart was only three years old when he first tried on a trombone for size.  I'm not sure why he was drawn to such a large instrument.  Fast forward six years later, Lionheart has studied violin and an assortment of percussion instruments, but no brass.  Yet, he's still drawn to the instrument.  Maybe it's on the horizon?  Maybe Trombone Shorty and Lionheart know something that we don't about the power of brass!

When I saw this book at the local library, I knew we had to read it.  I had never heard of Troy Anderson or the Treme, "music in the air," neighborhood in New Orleans where he grew up.  Anderson was a musical prodigy who taught himself to play using an old, discarded trombone.  By the time he was six years old, he had his own band.  That kind of determination and confident spirit reminded me of Lionheart.  After we finished reading his story, we searched YouTube and found a performance by Trombone Shorty at the age of 13.




When Lionheart asked me if the man playing the trumpet was any good, I chuckled and said, "Look him up."  I explained that Trombone Shorty playing with Wynton Marsalis would be like him playing basketball with Michael Jordan.  He immediately got it.  So many conversations were sparked from reading this book.  We learned about famous jazz musicians, Mardi Gras, New Orleans Jazz and just how far determination, hard work and dedication can take you in life.  Today, Troy Anderson is a Grammy-nominated artist who headlines the New Orleans Jazz Festival.

Good Reads

 

I love the library, especially children's book. I've had a library card for more than 40 years.  When I was a little girl growing up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I used to walk with my sister for 3 miles to spend the entire day at the library.  I have tried in my own way to pass this love on to my boys.  They enjoy going to the library, but for different reasons.  Today libraries are full of life - programs, poetry readings, chess, computers and more.  But my rule is they have to find some books before they do anything else.  I usually check about 50-60 books a month.  Each child has a crate to store books from the library and each child has required readings.  Every now and again I come across books that are so funny, clever, poignant or creative, that they earn a place on my Amazon Wish List.

Want to Raise An Entrepreneur?

Having entrepreneurial skills is enpowering! My husband infected me with the entrepreneurial spirit when he launched a business with zero experience and taught himself as he went along, driven by pure passion - the ultimate unschooler!  Apparently, these skills can be developed if you start teaching your children some very specific skills:

James A. Merrit is the founder of SpencersFirst.com.

Want to Raise An Entrepreneur?

7 Tips to Remember

1.  Money is a tool not a toy.  Reinforce the value of managing money at every turn.  Every penny counts and business owners realize this every day.

2.  Encourage Passion.  Passion fuels success.  Follow your passion and reap positive benefits.

3.  Teach Critical Thinking.  Entrepreneurs solve problems and fill a void in the marketplace for consumers.  Look for opportunities for problem solving and encourage it often.

4.  Talk Money.  Break the taboo and have conversations about money, goals, and how to make more of it.

5.  Vocabulary.  Teach children to understand that money is a language.  Use it daily and build that muscle.  It removes the fear.

6.  Making money is just as much fun as spending money.  Making money and spending money go hand in hand.  Both are fun.

7.  Model it.  Play money games, start your own business, help your child start a business.  Whatever you do, talk the talk, and walk, the walk.

These tips are from James A. Merritt, author and publisher of Spencer's First Dollar and Spencer's First Bank Account.  He is also the founder of SpencersFirst.com.

The holiday season is a perfect time to launch a business!

It's Time to Employ the Principle of Kujichagulia In Our Homeschool

 For the past several months I've been going back and forth between the Sonlight curriculum and Moving Beyond the Page curriculum.  As King Man approaches middle school I thought it time to take the leap into literature-based learning.  I really like Core F in Sonlight and I really like the 10-12 unit of Moving Beyond the Page, but neither is exactly what I want.  Core F does not include enough about Africa and Moving Beyond the page starts with slavery.  This has been a big pet peeve of mine about most curriculums.  But I didn't think I had the time to create my own curriculum until yesterday.  I was standing in Sankofa Bookstore with a friend and I saw  Haile Gerima, esteemed professor of film at Howard Universty and filmmaker of such classics as Sankofa and his recent work Teza, about his native homeland Ethiopia.  Who better to pose my question to? So I went up to him and explained that I was a homeschooler and wanted to create my own literature-based history curriculum for my son.  I told him that I did not want to start with the Underground Railroad, but I wanted to start with the glories of Africa.  He smiled knowingly and started leading me all over the bookstore pulling classic works off of the shelves.  I felt so honored.  Many of the books were above King Man's level or they were not narratives, stories in the tradition of Story of the World or the Sonlight booklist choices.  But at least I got a start.  Professor Gerima referred me to his wife who is more familiar with titles for younger children so I plan to return to Sankofa Bookstore to continue work on this project.  Why am I always creating more work for myself?! Why can't I just be satisfied with the packaged curriculums that are already out there? The first thing that comes to mind is the Kwanzaa principle of Kujichagulia:  to define ourselves, name ourselves and create for ourselves.  At that moment in the bookstore God said it was time for me to stop complaining and start doing.  So I'll be spending the rest of the summer contacting every scholar of African and African American history and literature that I can reach to create my own African/African American History based literature curriculum. The first book on our list is Desta and King Solomon's Coin of Magic and Fortune.  It was recommended by Professor Gerima.  It's the story of an Ethiopian Sheperd boy in search of his ancestral family's twin sister Solomonic gold coin.  I'm so excited for my son because we'll be learning together!

Before There Was Mozart

I am so very thankful that we live in a city of ultra-modern libraries filled with wonderful books. I probably check out between 50-100 books each month. Imagine the joy when I stumbled upon the book Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George. I have a little violinist in the midst and it gave me great joy to share this inspiring story about Joseph who "overcame prejudices of his peers to become one of the finest classical musicians in all of Europe."  In addition to being an African-American violinist he wrote 14 concertos, 9 symphonies, 18 string quartets and 6 operas! This is my favorite passage from the book:

"During one performance, a young man sat among the crowd, enthralled...Brimming with inspiration, he returned home to Vienna, where he began work on his Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major for violin and viola. The young man was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart."