Selected for the IRA Notable Books for a Global Society List, selected
for the Children's Literary Assembly 2013 Notable Children's Books and
the USBBY Outstanding International Book List
With a very simple text accompanied by rich, vibrant illustrations a
young narrator describes what it means to be a child with rights -- from
the right to food, water and shelter, to the right to go to school, to
be free from violence, to breathe clean air, and more. The book
emphasizes that these rights belong to every child on the planet,
whether they are black or white, small or big, rich or poor, born here
or somewhere else. It also makes evident that knowing and talking about
these rights are the first steps toward making sure that they are
respected.
A brief afterword explains that the rights outlined in the book come
from the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the
UN General Assembly in 1989. The treaty sets out the basic human rights
that belong to children all over the world, recognizing that children
need special protection since they are more vulnerable than adults. It
has been ratified by 193 states, with the exception of Somalia, the
United States and the new country of South Sudan. Once a state has
ratified the document, they are legally bound to comply with it and to
report on their efforts to do so. As a result, some progress has been
made, not only in awareness of children's rights, but also in their
implementation. But there are still many countries, wealthy and poor,
where children's basic needs are not being met.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language
Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.2
With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key
details of a text.
