A successor to the popular Children Around the World written and
illustrated by Donata Montanari, this book allows young readers to visit
with fourteen children, each from a different country, to learn about
their families. Based on real children, each one's story fills a
two-page spread and is told in the first person, beginning with a
greeting in the child's native language. From Ryan, who lives on a Texas
cattle farm, to Nkoitoi, who tends the family goat in Kenya, to Baatar,
who moves regularly with his nomadic family in Mongolia, there is a vast
range of homes, locations, customs and activities presented here, all of
it enthusiastically illustrated with bright colors and vivid detail by
illustrator Jessica Rae Gordon. There is variety in the heads of the
families as well: a single parent, multiracial parents and same-sex
parents are all represented. For all the children's different
experiences, however, it is clear how much their lives have in common
with one another, and likely with the book's readers. The love they have
for their family members, the joy they find in play and the beauty they
see around them wherever they live are experiences that cross borders.
This is a wonderful, uplifting global studies title perfect for
exploring cultures and geography. It would also be useful for a social
studies unit on families and family relationships. Adding to its value
as a teaching tool are suggestions for lesson plans built around the
book, as well as a glossary and pronunciation guide for foreign words.
