One in an occasional set of interviews with the reviewers who provide critical insights about new books from our client publishers
All Done Monkey is one of our review sources that always delights with the connections Leanna Guillen Mora makes between titles. She shares a truly varied set of titles from all sizes of publishers and champions diversity, world culture, and reasons why kids really enjoy specifics about each title. Her goal is to raise “world citizens” which means raising children who are respectfully curious about the world. Our goal is to help her with that goal by sharing good books from publishers around the world.
Leanna, let’s begin with your introduction and the genesis of All Done Monkey
I am a homeschooler and blogger with a Masters in Anthropology and one in Library and Information Science. My goal as a parent is to raise “world citizens,” which to me means raising children who are respectfully curious about the world and eager to play a part in building an ever-advancing society for all. Books are an essential tool in this process.
How did you get started as a book reviewer?
I started reviewing books when my oldest was very young. I was looking for a way to feed my passion for literature in a meaningful way by sharing the great children’s books I had discovered with other parents. I think the first “books” post I wrote was about firetruck books! (My son was obsessed with them).
How do your children influence your choices?
My children definitely influence my reviews. When choosing which books to review, I do try to keep in mind a general audience, but I will often pick books to review specifically because I know my kids will enjoy them! I think it lends more authenticity to the review when I can gauge their reactions to a book.
What is your favorite genre to review?
My favorite genre to review is anything multicultural. Books are such a wonderful way to open up the world to children and let them walk in the shoes of other children that on the surface might seem different from them.
Do you have a favorite library or bookstore memory to share?
As a child, I made many wonderful library memories. It was one of the main reasons I decided to pursue a degree in Library and Information Science. I can clearly remember walking into the little library in my small town (it seemed so big to me!) and setting the goal of reading all the books in the children’s wing. It didn’t happen, but I did read a lot of them!
What other book reviewers influence your reading choices?
There are so many wonderful book reviewers! Some of my favorites are Pragmatic Mom, Kid World Citizen, and Biracial Bookworms, all of whom focus on diverse children’s books. I also adore What Do We Do All Day? because her reviews are so thoughtful and genuine.
Follow Leanna Online!
Want to see more of Leanna’s work promoting reading? Follow her on her websites and social media:
Owner/blogger at All Done Monkey
Founder Multicultural Kid Blogs