PARENTING
Black History Month -- it isn’t just a month
[caption id="attachment_80686" align="alignnone" width="640"] Nelson Mandela by Chris Van Wyk[/caption] As we arrive in November, you will have recently learnt a lot more about Black History than you will have done since, well, maybe June. 2020, it seems, has been a bumper year. October was Black History Month here in the UK (February takes that title ...
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BOOKS
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai - an autobiography for older children
I have fallen in love with the work from Thanhha Lai and her poetric writings. Inside Out & Back Again is an autobiographical novel written in verse. It captures one year in the life of ten year old Kim Hàbook which reflects Lai's own childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and ...
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BOOKS
"Tiny, perfect things" by M.H. Clark and Madeline Kloepper
"Tiny, perfect things" is one of those picture books that help you find joy simply by observing what goes on in your own neighbourhood. And that's quite delightful! A recommendation from a while back, it made its way to our collection this summer. I am so glad it did! In this beautiful story by M.H. ...
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BOOKS
My Hair is a Garden, written and illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera - A lovely book to celebrate beauty in diversity!
I discovered this beautifully illustrated book when trying to find a book to help my daughter appreciate her hair. I'm very intentional about curating my daughters toys and books. I want her to learn from every experience and I want every experience to give her tools to see herself in the most positive light. This ...
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BOOKS
'Counting on Katherine' by Helaine Becker, Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
Having recently watched the movie, 'Hidden Figures' with the girls I was beyond excited to have found, Counting on Katherine. It's an excellent biography of Katherine Johnson who was the genius mathematician who helped make the Apollo 11 landings on the moon possible. She also helped at a critical stage in the return of Apollo ...
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CRAFTS AND DIY
Minikin handmade paper dolls by artist Adrienne Brown-David
I recently discovered the charming Minikin paper dolls by Adrienne Brown-David. This American artist and mother of four girls created a sweet line of vintage-inspired paper figurines. At first, she lovingly made them as a special gift for her daughters to play with. She wanted her girls to have a uniquely personalised toy. Eventually, that ...
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TOYS & GAMES
One-of-a-kind handcrafted Waldorf doll by Bamboletta
A few months before her 5th birthday, Nayou, my daughter, told me that she wanted a new doll. That was interesting because she had never asked for any specific toy before! She used to have a couple of classic baby dolls, but we ended up losing one of them during a move. That particular doll had similar features to ...
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CRAFTS AND DIY
Children's art inspired by black artists
Every month, our friends at LoLA (Lots of Lovely Art) assemble an art box with everything you need to create three high quality, artist-inspired projects: an introduction to the artist, recommendations on books and galleries to visit, plus all the materials you need to make a true masterpiece. The boxes are delivered to your front door, ...
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BOOKS
"Julián is a Mermaid" by Jessica Love
This book, so beautifully written and illustrated by Jessica Love, is a celebration of individuality and a heartwarming story of unconditional love and acceptance. Julián is a Mermaid tells the story of a little boy, Julián, who spies three women on the subway one day and is entranced by their beautiful hair, their shimmering mermaid ...
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PICTURE BOOKS
The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Lovlie
"The four women were still as different as they were the same. And they were still the best of friends." The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Lovlie is a gorgeous picture book and it's well celebrated in our house by both of my girls. It was also a treat to see it being used ...
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FUN
Fresh Books for the Shelf, to help bring cultural heritage into the lives of our children
At the beginning of December we held the Babyccino Shopup event, and myself and the wonderful panel of women who joined us discussed how we are bringing our cultural heritage into the lives of our children. Some decisions seem simple, like celebrating Christmas or Eid, for example. Those around us are celebrating too and not ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Do you talk about being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender with your kids?
Earlier this week, a successful beauty blogger here in the Netherlands, Nikkie de Jager (@nikkietutorials), publicly announced that she is transgender. A very brave thing to do -- I watched her coming out video on YouTube and was incredibly impressed by her story and the way she chose to share it. I recommend you to ...
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PARENTING
Cultural Richness around Bringing Up Children
London, has always been home. Born in the house I grew up in, it was my base for travelling this way and that to all of London’s corners which have attracted me and welcomed me. Its’ beauty owes much to do with its rich culture, hot mess of food and smells, sights and peoples, markets ...
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BOOKS
The 'Little People, Big Dreams' book series
We have recently discovered the Little People, Big Dreams series and we're just loving them all! Each story uncovers the lives of empowering, outstanding women. Each one had a dream as a child and went on to fulfil it. Florence sat with me to read Maya Angelou's story and together we followed her biography from ...
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