Mighty Mara: Dancing with Dante
9781223189024
32 pages
Paw Prints Publishing
Overview
- Mighty Mara returns in this second installment of her series about self-empowerment and celebrating differences!
- Key conversation starter about resilience, partnership, and embracing differences: Ideal for educators and caregivers who are looking for an accessible storytime book that features a diverse cast of kids, and positively showcases the joy of overcoming personal obstacles, and the positive impact of both embracing each other's differences and championing each other's strengths
- CASEL Alignment: Features pillars of Social Emotional Learning (SEL = self-awareness, relationship skills, social awareness, self-management):
- Social Awareness: The book fosters empathy and inclusion by encouraging readers to understand the unique challenges faced by those with physical and mental disabilities, then taking them into consideration during their interactions with them/
- Relationship Skills: Mara support of Dante showcases teamwork, communication, and mutual respect.
- Responsible Decision-Making: Mara demonstrates the importance of making choices based on empathy and critical thinking.
- Themes for Classroom Learning/ Bookseller and Library Displays/Events:
- National Disability Awareness Month (October)
- ADHD Awareness Month (October)
- International Women's Day (March 8)
- National Girls and Women in Sports Day (First Wednesday in February)
- Mental Health Awareness Month (May)
- Inclusive Schools Week (First Week of December)
- World Mental Health Day (October 10)
- Children's Mental Health Week (First Full Week of February
Author Bio
Carina Ho is a dancer and musician, who performs under the moniker ONIKHO. Shortly after sustaining a spinal cord injury, Carina joined AXIS Dance Company, a physically integrated dance company that casts dancers with and without disabilities. Over the next two years she toured the United States with them until she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship, for which she relocated to Montevideo, Uruguay to teach at the national dance conservatory El SODRE. During this time, Carina also began developing her music project, which melds her influences of classical, blues, and electronic music. Today she primarily tours as a musical artist, often collaborating with other disabled artists to promote the visibility of diverse bodies in the arts. Her work can be found at www.onikhomusic.comJesse Byrd is an international award-winning children's book author and the youngest NPR Board member. At 6'8", Jesse pivoted from playing basketball at UCSB to pursue his passion for storytelling. After working at Google in Silicon Valley and later EY in Dubai as Director of Communications for Middle East and North Africa, Jesse turned all of his energy toward his deepest love: making stories for youth and families with a focus on supporting diverse creators and #ownvoices material. He's written six children's books and helped produce over 40 others as an editor, art director, and publishing consultant. Jesse is based in Los Angeles, CA.
Mónica Paola Rodríguez is a Freelance Illustrator, storyteller and sushi lover, born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Having grown up loving to draw, she studied Fine Art at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Now she creates beautiful, digital artwork for books, animations and websites all over the world.
