Thank You, World

by Alice B. McGinty, Wendy Anderson Halperin (Illustrator)

Thank you, breeze, for lifting up my kite wings past treetops tall and proud. Thank you, trees. Your branches are my playhouse. I?m climbing to the clouds!

Eight very different kids, from eight different continents, all go about their day and experience the same moments of happiness: greeting the sun in the morning, swinging on a swing, flying a kite, being tucked in by Mommy at bedtime. Uplifting and visually rich, this book reminds us that the world isn?t as large as it seems, and that life?s greatest pleasures are the simple ones.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Thanksgiving, Nature, Cultural, Fiction, Kids

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2007

About the author

Alice Blumenthal McGinty is an American writer of children's books.
McGinty was born in 1963 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She attended Indiana University and the University of Illinois. McGinty is Jewish. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! But, then, this is a marriage of two of my favorite things--the artwork of Wendy Anderson Halperin and comparisons of similar places, events and feelings in different countries. The book shares moments throughout the day of eight children from around the world (USA, Mexico, Bolivia, France, Mali, Saudi Arabia, India and China) as the experience the joys of nature, playtime and family and express their gratitude. So heartwarming! I love that this book shows our similarities while also celebrating the diversity but does so in a subtle way. The writing style is also wonderful, very lyrical.

The only thing I wished is that they had included a note mentioning how people say "Thank you" in each of the different languages. I think that was an unfortunate omission but I'll still give it five stars.*

Also, the illustrations are quite small as you see all eight children's experiences on each page, so this would not be good for a read-aloud with a large group but invites lots of investigation of each tiny, beautiful event.

*ETA: My GoodReads friend Lisa read this book and found the "thank yous" in different languages on the dedication page. I usually read dedication pages but I must somehow have missed this or it didn't resonate enough for me. I think it would have fit better on the last page of the book, with an illustration, or something more in the flow of the story itself but I am definitely very happy that it is there at all and hope that these reviews alert other readers to know where to find that information! :-)

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture-book hymn of thankfulness for all the good things of the world - the wakeful sun, the shining blue sky, the rocking swing, the soft grass, and the dancing breeze - things that children everywhere can enjoy, Thank You, World is a simple, but lovely reminder that, regardless of where we are in the world, we benefit from many of the same blessings. Each two-page spread features eight inset square illustrations, depicting children from eight different countries - the United States, Mexico, Mail, Saudi Arabia, Bolivia, France, India and China - all experiencing the same thing, in different ways. The conclusion, in which eight mothers tuck their children into bed, and nighttime is thanked for bringing soft gray shadows, and dreams, is a fitting finale for this quiet bedtime book.

I'm so very glad that my online friends rated this one so highly, and recommended it so sincerely (thanks, Kathryn & Lisa!), as I don't think I would have picked it up, otherwise, and that would have been a shame. Not only is the simple narrative very effective at communicating the beauty of the world around us, and the feelings of gratitude that this beauty calls forth, the artwork by Wendy Anderson Halperin in a multitude of soft crayon colors, is simply gorgeous! I loved everything about this book, visually speaking, from the decorative endpapers to the eight inset illustrations on each two-page spread. This is just a lovely, lovely book, one I recommend to anyone looking for titles that emphasize the idea of global community, and of thankfulness.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning! Beautiful sentiments! I loved this book!

It follows eight children through their days, children from eight different countries (United States, Mexico, Bolivia, France, Mali, Saudi Arabia, India, China) who are all enjoying the simple pleasures of life. What’s thanked?: the sun, the sky, a swing, the grass, a breeze, trees, clouds, rain, a window, stars, mommy, and nighttime. These are things with which most children will identify. Because of how the content is structured, this would make a fine bedtime story.

The illustrations are gorgeous and they’re made with materials with which children will be familiar (a box of 120 Crayola crayons, 22 Crayola Twistables, and a box of 30 Swiss Neocolor 1 crayons by Caran d’ache on top of copies of pencil drawings); I so appreciate that information being given. I thoroughly enjoyed all the pictures. Specific details pertinent to each country’s location are shown, which is educational and fun.

I also appreciate that on the dedication page, the illustrator includes how to say thank you in each of the languages spoken in the included countries, and that the inside front and back covers have eight globe maps, each one with one of the countries highlighted on it. I also like that all eight kids are shown together on the cover. It’s a nice touch.

My only quibble is that this story rhyme ends up reading so very slowly because it takes so much time to view each page’s illustrations. But the rhyme is good. Perhaps the key is to make sure to read it more than once, at least once reading it through at a normal pace and at least another time taking all the time wanted to view the pictures.

A humongous thank you to Goodreads friend Kathryn, who alerted me to this book.

[Erika Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Book Summary in your own words
Different people from different parts of the world experience the same moments happiness. This book shows us that even from different parts of the world, the greatest pleasures are the simple ones.
2. Grade level, interest level, lexile
Grades: K-2
3. Appropriate classroom use (subject area)
Culture and Diversity
4. Individual students who might benefit from reading
Students who need encouragement to be different, because there’s bound to be someone else like them somewhere in the world.
5. Small group use (literature circles)
In small groups, students will tell each other what they like to do.
6. Whole class use (read aloud)
As a whole class, we will discuss different cultures, then move the students around the room according to what they enjoy. This will show the students that, although they are different, they still have similarities.
7. Related books in genre/subject or content area
Can you Greet the Whole Wide World? By Lezlie Evans
8. Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available
I could not find anything for this book.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrator says she was inspired by a Confucian quote invoking "gravity, generostiy of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindess". And certainly this is sincere, earnest and kind.
But a children's book needs more than that. And though the pictures are beautiful, and the text poetic, this lacks child appeal......

[Allie Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank You, World examines the everyday life of the children that are in eight different places of the world. The text is in rhyming form which makes it an easy yet fun read for young children. The pages are divided into eight squares with a picture representing the country of one of the eight children. I thought this book was somewhat lacking in detail when explaining the different cultures. I think that when the author wrote the sentence on each page of the daily activity, they should have had a little sentence or two explaining the explicit differences of each culture. I still find it to be a book that can relate to many students in the classroom. Many children’s books do not view other cultures so I feel as if this book briefly touches on some. It helps the students realize that we all do the same thing but we have a different view or way of doing something. This allows students to learn about other student’s cultures and see a new perspective on everyday activities. This book could be used with a compare and contrast lesson in a language arts class. I love the illustrations that were done in crayons. They are bright and have a unique style to them which I believe children will love!

[Elizabeth Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good realistic fiction book for kids about 8 kids from different parts of the world thanking different parts of the world for the things it does for them. It shows children to appreciate and focus on things that they never thought about. For example, they thank the breeze for blowing their kite.

[Erin Powers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great at depicting how children around the world are the same and experience the same things, just in different ways. It would be great for introducing and talking about new cultures with younger readers.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I loved the layout, the illustrations and the story. I love the author's choice of words to describe things. The peek into life in another country via the illustrations was amazing. Very neat concept.

[Usama Albastaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice drawing and the choice of the words. Enjoyed reading it with my 5 years old boy.

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A picture book that thanks various aspects of the world.

Storytime:
Global
Thanksgiving

[Ashley Workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expressions of gratitude for the beautiful world we live in from six international perspectives.

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very beautiful and colorful drawings. Wonderful sweet read on a sunny day:)

[Mijail Beltran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book because of the art work and how each pictures represents something. I also like the the pictures that show parts of the world and how it is represented on each picture. Nature is also one of the things I like the most and I believe students can learn a lot from this book. I find interesting how the picture show what type of activities each country has and how the people interact with each other. I think this tells a lot in the pictures and it can be use to explain the diversity of cultures between students and how they can have different perspectives of things or activities. Culture plays an important role in education and this book can help students to have a better understanding of culture.

[Alexa Maring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teach children about showing appreciation and gratitude to the things that we take for granted. Simple things that the world offers us, are things that we do not take time out of our day to appreciate. What I love about this book, more than its voice of gratitude, is the illustrations. Wendy Anderson Halperin chose to illustrate the book with eight different cultures demonstrating the words. In eight different countries students are able to see kites flying, the sun rise, and different wildlife. This is a wonderful book to put in your library so students can read and observe the illustrations, learning the how cultures are different, but also seeing how they are similar.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank You, World by Alice B. McGinty is a rhyming story about eight children from different countries: United States(North American), Mexico(North America) Mali(Africa), Saudi Arabia(Asia), Bolivia(South America, and China(Asia). As you read the story to your child you can point out the differences of each child and the similarities of each culture. Try using a globe to point out each country as well.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous book about elements in nature and showing these elements in different parts of the world. Showing kids in different cultures. The pictures are smaller but colorful and could be good for story time. The rhyme is very interesting because the last word from the previous page is used as the first on the next spread.

[Margo Dill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet picture book about being thankful for things in everyday life. The best part are the illustrations--showing us how the lyrical line of text would look in eight different countries with eight different children. This is one of those books you can read again and again and notice something different each time! Perfect for bedtime stories.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful multi-cultural book depicting scenes in the daily lives of eight children around the world. It shows, without preaching, that we are all the same in the ways that matter, and different in ways that make us unique and interesting.

[Tattered Cover Book Store]

Cathy says:

Eight very different kids, from eight different continents, all go about their day and experience the same moments of happiness--greeting the sun in the morning, swinging on a swing, flying a kite, being tucked in by Mommy at bedtime--in this uplifting book. Full of color.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows children on every page doing the same things, but each in their own parts of the world. It is a simple way to show children comparative ways of living, from eating, to playing, to going to bed at night. Lovely.

[Sara B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has few words and is mainly pictures. The illustrations are very beautiful and the author did a wonderful job. However this may not necessarily be a fun read for children they will enjoy the illustrations.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Beautiful illustrations, a simple message of appreciation and joy, and lots of views of all around the world (which I, personally, can never get enough of). The comparison of all the different places gives a sense of unity as well.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eight children from eight countries share their gratitude for common yet wonderful things that surround them. This is a simple and lovely book. First, gratitude. Second, how different, yet how similar are these children. What a celebration of living and of life!
I think I need to buy this book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cyclic book surveying the typical day of children in eight different countries. Good for reading one-on-one; I don't think it would work well with a large group.

[Chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores different cultures. It has pictures and just a little bit about with makes the culture different.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the illustrations comparing the homes, beds, flowers, trees, etc. from 8 different countries. My children were also enchanted with this book.

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome book! Shows children thanking the world, from 7 countries. Great for diversity, Earth Day, thanksfulness and more. Also great for sequencing, as the book repeats itself on each page.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and simple rhyming verse that follows 8 children in different parts of the world and the similarities they share.