Item: Kayla: A Modern Day Princess: Dishes, Dancing, and Dreams
Rating: 4
Author: Gina

Kayla-Dishes, Dancing and Dreams | Children’s Book Review

Thank you to the author, publisher, & Lauren at iRead for providing me the information for this tour.

Kayla: A Modern Day Princess: Dishes, Dancing and Dreams | Review

Kayla: A Modern Day Princess: Dishes, Dancing, and Dreams by Deedee Cummings
Series: Kayla: A Modern Day Princess #2
Published by Make A Way Media on May 31, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Children's, Family Life, Multi-Cultural, Inspirational, Multi-Generational
Format: eBook

Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess is a heartwarming story about the importance of family, dreams, knowing your worth, and a determination for growth. Dishes, Dancing, and Dreams is the second book in a five-part series that shines the spotlight on a little Black girl who never lets anything get in the way of her dreams.

Reading stories with characters who look like you, builds self-esteem.
Reading stories with characters who look like our world builds empathy. Kayla shares her world with everyone around her and learns not to judge others along the way. The world is filled with gifts sent directly to you. Staying open to finding them is key.

The Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess series is inspired by real-life budding Broadway Star, Kayla Pecchioni: a young Black woman who has always lived her life by believing in herself while letting nothing get in the way of her dreams.

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Source: Amazon Purchase, iRead Book Tours, Kindle Unlimited, Received from the author or publisher for review.

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Purchase Links for Kayla: A Modern Day Princess: Dishes, Dancing and Dreams

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My thoughts on Kayla: A Modern Day Princess: Dishes, Dancing and Dreams

n Kayla: A Modern Day Princess: Dishes, Dancing, and Dreams, she explains how even though she is a princess, she has chores to do every day. She’s a “Modern-Day” princess.

While washing dishes and daydreaming out the window, she spies the new boy next door climbing a tree. Concerned for his safety, she decides to warn him about the dangers. While making his acquaintance, she discovers he lives alone with his Dad. They discuss therapy and what works for each of them. Kayla uses dance to work out her feelings, while Tommie uses football. The concept of speaking with a therapist is introduced.

Kayla lets him know the entire neighborhood is there for him. He is never alone.

Kayla not only makes a new friend, but she may also have gained a dishwashing buddy.

The illustrations by Charlene Mosely are colorful and portray the story well.

I think most families will benefit from adding this Kayla tale to their library.

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

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About Deedee Cummings

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Deedee Cummings is a professional dreamer, author of eighteen books, therapist, attorney, and mom from Louisville, Kentucky.

Cummings founded Make A Way Media in 2014 after struggling to find books with characters who looked like her own children and an extreme lack of stories that reflected their life experiences. Books published by Make A Way focus on hope, diversity, social justice, and therapeutic skills for children and adults. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Forbes, NPR, USA Today, Essence Magazine, Psych Central, Well+Good, and The EveryGirl, among other media outlets.

In 2021, Governor Andy Beshear appointed her to the Kentucky Early Childhood Advisory Council, acknowledging her decades-long service to the children and families of Kentucky.

Deedee is also the founder of The Louisville Book Festival, which celebrates its fifth year in 2024 and hosts over 150 authors and presenters from all over the country. She was inspired to work to highlight and celebrate a culture of reading in her community after working as an in-home therapist and visiting the homes of children who had no books.

Cummings believes literacy is a fundamental human right. Her work highlights inspiring messages that remind us all that it is never too late to begin again. She is currently working to adapt her latest children’s series, inspired by the life of her daughter, Kayla Pecchioni (a Broadway actress), to a Broadway musical. Deedee recently founded the Make A Way Mindset program to teach the unshakable mindset she has developed as an entrepreneur of thirty years.

Her latest book, How to Dream, is her first book written for adults and was released in October 2024.