Making mask-wearing a privilege your child wants
Reggae coalition’s Reggae Culture Salute goes viral
Caribbean Life, Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2020 31
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Peek-a-boo!
You played that game back
when you were too little to
even remember. Hide your
eyes, move your hands, and
BOO! These days, though, it’s
a different kind of game with
different rules. In “Heroes
Wear Masks: Elmo’s Super
Adventure” by Lillian Jane,
pictures by Ernie Kwiat,
there’s no BOO! to it.
The minute Elmo woke up
this morning, he was “super
excited… and super nervous!”
He put his hands over his
tummy and took a slow, deep
breath. Today was the day he
went to school and there was
lots to remember!
He washed up and ate a
good breakfast while Mommy
let Elmo know what might
happen at school. He might
have his temperature taken,
but it won’t hurt. He’ll need
to wear his mask, to keep
his mouth and nose covered.
He’ll want to remember not
to touch his mouth or eyes
or nose after he’s washed up.
And he’ll have to stay a safe
distance from his friends
in school and on the playground.
That’s a lot to remember.
One more deep breath. That
makes Elmo feel better.
He had a fancy new face
mask to wear, and that was
exciting! Masks should be
clean and just the right size
– not to big, not too small.
Elmo doesn’t have to wear his
mask at home while he plays
inside. He wears it whenever
he goes anywhere else,
though. He wears his mask
in school, on the bus, walking
around, on the playground, in
gym class, and at the grocery
store. And he won’t be alone
when he does it: Elmo’s classmates
will be wearing masks.
His teachers will have them,
too. Mommy says that Super
Grover even wears a mask,
and that makes Elmo want to
wear his everywhere.
Just before he gets on the
bus, Elmo gives Mommy
a hug and kiss and that’s
okay; with his friends, he can
only wave. And when he gets
home, he’ll wash his hands
and tell Mommy about his
exciting day.
As an adult, it can be hard
to wrap your head around
the “new normal” of masking
wherever you go. Your
child may seem more resilient
and willing to mask up everywhere
– or they may need
this book.
“Heroes Wear Masks” is
everything you expect a Sesame
Street-based book to be:
simple but gently persuasive,
slightly repetitive, instructional
without seeming so,
and full of characters your
kids already love. Author Lillian
Jane takes the big deal
out of mask-wearing, instead
making it seem like a privilege
your child will want. For
a parent who’s tired of fighting
the issue, that’s a benefit;
another plus is that handwashing
is likewise stressed
in this story and it’s also done
without fuss.
While three-year-olds can
surely enjoy the Elmo they
adore, this is really a better
book for kids ages 4 to 7,
especially if school is an onagain,
off-again thing in your
area. Hide your nose, hide
your mouth, and “Heroes
Wear Masks” is a book you’ll
want to peek at.
“Heroes Wear Masks:
Elmo’s Super Adventure”
by Lillian Jane, pictures
by Ernie Kwait
c.2020, Sourcebooks
$7.99 / $9.99
Canada 40 pages
Book cover of “Heroes Wear Masks.”
By Nelson A. King
The Brooklyn-based Coalition
to Preserve Reggae Music
(CPR) is says that, on Nov.
2, its Reggae Culture Salute
(RCS) will take the form of
a digital presentation, paying
tribute to veteran contributors
to nurturing reggae music in
New York City.
The presentation dubbed,
“Foundation Groundation,”
will highlight contributions in
the areas of live performance,
sound systems, and music production
and recording.
CPR said the presentation
takes place from 7:00 pm to
10:00 pm on the CPRLive
Facebook and YouTube platforms.
CPR said Reggae Culture
Salute marks the anniversary
of the coronation of Emperor
Haile Selassie I and Empress
Menen of Ethiopia, and highlights
“the unique relationship
between Reggae (recognized
by UNESCO as an Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity),
Rastafari, Emperor Selassie
and Jamaica.”
For the highlight of the
evening, CPR said two veterans
of the reggae experience
will “pull back the curtain on
their contributions to laying
the foundation for reggae in
New York” in a conversation
with CPR Jamaican-born President,
Carlyle McKetty.
Participating will be entrepreneur
and selector Howard
“Sir Tommy” Mapp of Sir Tommy’s
HiFi; and Hugh Hendricks,
bassist and founder/
bandleader of Hugh Hendricks
and the Buccaneers,
McKetty said. He said each
pioneer will also be presented
with the CPR Pinnacle Award
for Excellence.
“This Foundation Groundation
is another step towards
full implementation of The
Legacy Project, a CPR initiative
to curate and digitally
present information about
reggae pioneers,” McKetty
said.
“Recognizing and honoring
contributors to the foundation
of this intangible cultural
heritage of humanity is vital
in the preservation of reggae
music, and we are pleased to
present these pioneers at this
time,” he added.
“As always, RCS will pay
homage to Emperor Haile
Selassie I and Empress Menen,
and present and honor artists
from diverse dimensions of the
genre,” McKetty continued.
He said this year’s participants
include veteran drummer/
singer Safi Abdullah,
emerging artist Blvk H3ro
and poet and author Burnett
Coburn.
“This hallmark event routinely
attracts a racially diverse
inter-generation audience and
we especially urge children
and young adults to engage in
this teachable moment about
this seminal time in New York
reggae history,” McKetty said.
CPR Jamaican-born President,
Carlyle McKetty.
Carlyle McKetty/FB