Families Around the World

October 6, 2014
Readers meet fictional children from 14 nations in this engaging companion to Donata Montanari’s Children Around the World (2001). The children introduce themselves and their families while sharing highlights from their daily routines. Zofia, from Poland, hunts for mushrooms and plays video games with her brother, who uses a wheelchair, while a Kenyan boy named Nkoitoi gathers firewood to cook ugali (a mixture of maize flour and water). There’s a subtle dimensionality to Gordon’s mixed-media paper collages, and a glossary defines the scattering of non-English words—in Pakistan, Murtaza prepares for bed after reading the Qur’an with her family: “Tomorrow, Inshallah, will bring new adventures.” Ages 3–7.

June 15, 2014
This simple but inclusive informational picture book surveys many types of families.Based on real people that Ruurs met, there are 14 families represented, including Chinese immigrants in Canada, a Texas ranch family, a Mayan village family in Mexico, several European families, and a kibbutz family in Israel. Families in Saudi Arabia, Kenya (a Maasai village), Pakistan, South Korea and Mongolia are also introduced. Each two-page spread highlights daily life and includes a greeting in the family's language and the words for family members. Sometimes a favorite food is mentioned, like kimbap in South Korea, and defined in the glossary. Foster children are not included, and neither are blended families, but the author strives for diversity, particularly in the European families. The English family is biracial, the French family is headed by a single dad, and Sanne, from the Netherlands, has two moms. Zofia lives in a Polish town and pushes her brother in his wheelchair to church. Collages incorporate acrylic paint, paper, pencil crayon and ink. Detailed and colorful, the variety of vignettes and larger images in each spread complement the text well, although the map is very confusing. A note for parents and teachers includes simple activities but no resources.Limiting African representation to one rural group (the Maasai) is an unfortunate misstep, but this quick global trip can serve as a first look at the larger world. (Informational picture book. 3-6)

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September 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-This large-format picture book presents a variety of families from around the world: biracial, single parent, multigenerational, and more. Fourteen families are included, all based on real people whom the author interviewed. For each family, simple text describes common activities, such as cooking food, visiting relatives, or going to school, infusing these universal experiences with culturally specific details. For instance, a Brazilian family sips maracuja (passion fruit) juice. Another family, who emigrated from China to Canada, eats lasagna with chopsticks, while J-Ch'eel, a Mexican girl living in a Mayan village, wakes up and puts on her huipil (helpfully defined in the glossary as a "traditionally embroidered shirt or dress"). The book also contains a map, with spot illustrations of all the children, that shows where they live. Rendered in a combination of acrylic paint, cut paper, pencil crayon, and ink, and using copious amounts of white space, the colorful collages pop from the page. This title will be an effective window on the world and an introduction to nonfiction text features, such as a glossary, a table of contents, and bolded headings. An author's note suggests activities to help guide children "toward a better understanding of the world around us," including a poem about families. An attractive and informative multicultural offering.-Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2014
Preschool-G A companion book to Donata Montanari's Children around the World (2001), this colorful volume introduces families living in 14 nations: Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, England, the Netherlands, France, Poland, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Pakistan, Mongolia, and South Korea. After a brief introduction and a lively world map connecting pictures of children with their home countries, each double-page spread features a different family. Boys and girls serve as hosts, greeting the reader ( Bonjour, Assalamu alaikum, Shalom ) and telling a little about their families, such as what they eat and what they do together. Showing families engaged in everyday activities, the collage illustrations also offer clues about the culture, the climate, and the level of technology in each locale. An appended glossary defines the few non-English words ( My family lives in a ger ) within the text, though the meanings are often clear from the context and illustrations. Inclusive in showing many different family structures, this large-format book offers an amiable introduction to families around the globe.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
This picture book presents a collection of brief profiles of families around the world. Simple text and bright illustrations in mixed media, including cut-paper collage, make the various child narrators accessible and friendly. Devoting each spread to a different family and country allows for great diversity but limits the depth of information, and some of the text feels repetitive. Suggested activities are appended. Glos.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)