The 2024 LA Times Festival of Books was held at USC this weekend, and while there was a wide range of genres featured, the children’s book stage was a definite highlight of the event.
The children’s stage lineup was filled with authors and some illustrators doing live readings of their books and answering questions from the curious audience (mostly kids), who were eager to learn more about these must-reads.
While all the books that were featured on stage offered a creative way to deliver their respective impactful message, there was a commonality among them. These novels shared a goal of introducing readers to the principle of appreciating diversity along with other significant life lessons.
Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran, authors of “Piper Chen Sings”
Actress and singer, Phillipa Soo — best known for originating the role of “Eliza” in “Hamilton,” — partnered with her sister-in-law, Maris Pasquale Doran to write a children’s book that is inspired by a younger version of Soo.
Soo’s love for singing and music, and tendency to get nervous before performing in front of people led her to tell a story about a young girl, ‘Piper,’ and how her mentors help her overcome the butterflies in her stomach.
The book also features a snippet of Chinese culture, exploring themes of immigration and the importance of learning family history.
When asked what Soo hopes readers take away from the book, she says two things, “First, I hope you enjoy reading this book. Second, I hope this book is used as a tool, and something that sparks conversation about emotions and how to handle them.”
Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham, author & illustrator of “Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn”
This superstar duo takes inspiration from their real life friendship, and shared their latest book in the “Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn” series, “Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn.” Hale and Pham talked about how this series has been a passion project for them, and has been in the works for about a year.
The overall takeaway from this series is about celebrating the importance and magic of friendships, and letting those friends love you for exactly who you are. Pham gives a special nod to this message as the illustrator by ending every book with the characters, Kitty and Unicorn, somehow forming a heart.
This book was a crowd favorite, with seats full ofyoung readers who were excited and overcome with laughter hearing the latest Kitty-Corn adventure.
Todd Parr, author & illustrator of “Be Who You Are”
The book that jumpstarted Parr’s career, “It’s Okay To Be Different,” celebrated its 23rd anniversary. This book pushed boundaries for children’s literature for its time of release in the early 2000s, by emphasizing that there’s nothing wrong with needing a wheelchair, and broadly speaking to have a disability.
In 2016, Parr released “Be Who You Are,” where he comforts readers on common insecurities. Reassuring that it is easier to be yourself and not pretend to be somebody else. “Speak your language” and “Learn your own way” are mantras that appear to be straightforward, but these lessons are among the most forgotten when in a mindset of self doubt.
As a bonus, Parr did a reading from one of his more recent books, “The Monster Mac and Cheese Party.” This is one of Parr’s more lighthearted books, and there is an inclusion to a plant based mac and cheese dish since Parr is a vegan. This quick mention encourages children to alternative ways to enjoy a kid friendly dish, and raises awareness about the plant based community.
Bess Kalb, author of “Buffalo Fluffalo”
In a charming story about a buffalo that learns the value of not suppressing your emotions and leaning on your community who will be there for you no matter what. Kalb noted that the character ‘Buffalo’ should act as a mirror for however the reader wants to see him, adding, “Whatever lesson you take away from the story is the right one.”
The author mentioned that this book’s purpose is to additionally transport readers to a scenic world filled with nature. Kalb grew up in a city environment and wishes to give other children growing up in the city a chance to envision the beauty nature has to offer.
Elle Duncan, author of “For You I Will”
Sports journalist Elle Duncan took the opportunity to challenge herself by writing a children’s book. Inspiration struck Duncan while writing a letter for her newborn daughter to read in the future. For Duncan this book is a pledge, the promises she made as a mother to her child.
The book is more geared towards parents due to its elevated language. When asked how she envisioned her book affecting children who read it, and what should the reader take away, she said, “I wrote this book with the intention of the parent reading this book to their children, then eventually the child will read it back to the parent.” Duncan added, “I cry when I read this book, so I imagine other parents cry as well.”
Historical Black figures are weaved into the story, making it another learning moment. This book pays noteworthy attention to Black parents raising Black kids, which Duncan said was important to her personally.
Raj Haldar, author of “This Book Is Banned”
The beloved children’s book, “P is for Pterodactyl” was released by Raj Haldar in 2018. The book was loved by many, becoming one of the top two books on Amazon the week it was released (the number one book that week was “Becoming” by Michelle Obama). However, concerned parents quickly called for Haldar’s book to be banned since it mentioned a Oujia board.
This prompted Haldar to write his second book, “This Book Is Banned.” The title of this book says it all, the story has no ending since everything got banned. Haldar made a public outcry to stop book banning, saying “bans are on the wrong side of history,” and “books should be a window to others, not a mirror of ourselves.”
The overall message of the book is: “Even if a book isn’t for you, it could be perfect for someone else. If we only read books that we all agree on, we won’t learn anything new.”
Meera Sriram, author “The Spice Box”
This book transports readers into the different spices and flavors of traditional Indian culture in the U.S. The main character, “Rishi” and his father share family stories through a spice box, handed down from generation to generation, in this tender picturebook.
The author Meera Sriram grew up in India and moved to the U.S. as an adult. She drew from personal childhood experiences when it came to writing this story. Even though this story is rooted in Indian culture, Sriram wants readers to recognize that “we are more similar than different, we all share the same human fundamental experiences.”
Sriram’s latest book not only acts as an accurate representation regarding Indian culture, but also educates others about the intricacies of spice boxes and family history.
These books mentioned above are just a small portion of the current books available for children now. An increasing amount of stories incorporate characters that are diverse and raise awareness about a certain specialty that’s a part of their identity. Data conducted by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) shows in 2023 that of the thousands of kids and teens books they reviewed, about 48 percent had a non-white author, illustrator or compiler, up from 24 percent in 2014.
Close to all modern children’s novels contain a message that is important to learn and practice at a young age. Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, director of the CCBC said, “There are just so many more choices of books [reflecting] the multifaceted complexity of individual lives.”
One of the leading publishing companies, Penguin Random House is doing their part to advance the diversity among all of their books that they publish. Their mission statement as a company is, “We make books for everyone, because a book can change anyone.”
“My students are primarily Latino and African-American. I definitely have noticed that students are more inclined to read books if they see themselves represented in them,” an avid attendee of the festival and a L.A. elementary school teacher, Mayra Tellez, said. “I absolutely feel that representation matters in all stages of a reader’s life, starting with board books for babies. When children see themselves represented in books, they are able to appreciate it on a personal level. I believe people should be exposed to all different types of lives in books, including your own.”
Teachers and readers have spoken. Readers respond well to stories that focus on different cultures and characteristics and spread positive messages.
Although these books are intended for younger readers, the overall message is ageless. It’s important to remind yourself of the simple life lessons that tend to be forgotten, but are the basis of a functioning society.