Join Carole P. Roman on a trip to the Northern Hemisphere and learn about Norway- The Land Of the Midnight Sun. In this exciting series, children are able to read about the many things we share in this great, big world of ours. Award winning, If You Were Me and Lived in...Norway describes many things that make that country unique and fun. Readers will be able to learn about the capital, common names, a beloved holiday, as well as favorite food and other fun facts. This book is an excellent introduction for those beginners who want to learn about the many thrilling places and great people who share our planet.
BOOK AWARDS Rebecca’s Reads Readers Choice Awards 2013 Childrens Books
Creative Non Fiction If You Were Me and Lived in...Norway
Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children's books. Whether it's pirates, princesses, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children. She hosts a blog radio program called Indie Authors Roundtable and is one of the founders of the magazine, Indie Author's Monthly. She's been interviewed twice by Forbes Magazine. Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman. She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren and a new joke book called The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! She writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and is currently helping to create an anthology with her mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors. She lives on Long Island near her children and grandchildren.
Her series includes: Captain No Beard If You Were Me and Lived in- Cultural If You Were Me and Lived in- Historical Nursery series Oh Susannah- Early Reader and coloring book Mindfulness for Kids with co-author J. Robin Albertson-Wren The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids; 800 plus Jokes! Navigating Indieworld- with co-author Julie A. Gerber Marketing Indieworld- with co-authors Angela Hausman and Julie A. Gerber Adult Fiction under the pen name Brit Lunden Bulwark The Knowing- A Bulwark Anthology
If You Were Me and Lived in Norway is from the children's series of An Introduction to Learning About Other Cultures and is written by Carole P. Roman.
I read this book with my son, and he loved it. He had a great time learning about different cultural things that are noteworthy in Noway. I love how the book emphasizes the global location of Norway and talks about what the country name means and the capital of Norway.
I also enjoyed the standard naming conventions for both boys and girls. It also talks about the kind of currency used and types of unique foods you may encounter when you are there.
The types of transportation and a unique major holiday were also fun to teach my son. The illustration did a wonderful job of complimenting the story in appropriate places. The pronunciation guide at the end of the book was also excellent.
Overall I give this book 4.5/5 Education value is high, fun while learning is high. My only complaint is that many of the pages have a bit too much text on them for the age of my son. Word size is large enough that a grade school child should be able to easily read the size, but may need help with some of the unique Norwegian words. I would definitely recommend it.
If You Were Me and Lived in ...Norway is a very fun and educational book to read! I learned several new things about Norway right along with my daughters! There is a pronunciation key in the back of the book as well as throughout the book to make it easier to pronounce the words while reading which is very helpful. The globe in the book is very helpful to explain to kids where Norway is in the world. My daughters and I would recommend this book to kids around ages 3-8 and for parents looking for fun and educational books to read to kids. Kids won't even realize they are learning and parents might learn something new too!
SERIES REVIEW: What great all encompassing books for kids on countries all over the world. My son is constantly asking me about places all over the world, so these books are right up his alley. It presents great information in a way that is easy for kids to understand. It is like taking a tour of each of the counties within the pages of a book! 4 stars
This adorable children’s book introduces readers to life and culture in Norway. Being 29 years old and a mother of a two year old, I am always on the lookout for books to open his eyes and ears to the world through being read to. The illustrations are engaging and drawn as if by a child… but not immaturely. Each drawing is a good visual explanation for the blurbs on each page.
The seventeen page book covers a large wealth of practical information. Ms. Roman covers Norway’s geographical location, sites, and popular locations. One such location is the Kirkenes Snowhotel. I wanna go! Ms. Roman also covers popular female and male names and what children in Norway call their parents. Culturally, the author gives examples of popular foods, a holiday, and outdoor activities (skiing). It was pretty fun to learn what a smorbord was… even if it involved shrimp.
At $2 bucks for the Kindle version, this is a great book for any child or family wanting to learn about various cultures. The easy to understand blurbs and illustrations are fun for any age. To help with the foreign vocabulary featured in the book, there is even a pronunciation guide in the back of the book.
As usual i received this book free in exchange for a review. Also as usual I give my candid thoughts below.
Unsurprisingly with a series of this size (I've got eight of them on my desk) they follow a pretty specific formula:
* Map page, show the country and name the capital * Geographical overview, origin of capital's name * Common names for boys/girls * Words for mom/dad * Words for money * Common tourist attractions * Most popular sport * Common foods * Common toys * Annual festivals and Events * Facts about school * Pronunciation guide
The books are factual, straightforward and vividly illustrated and I could see a child reading a few of them but not all of them. I also don't see a lot of potential for multiple readings but they'd learn quite a few things even on the first trip around.
I previously reviewed the first three If You Were Me and Lived in ......." (A Child's Introduction to Cultures). The first three books were about France, Mexico, and South Korea. Today we're going to look at two more - "If You Were Me and Lived in Kenya...... and Norway." (Read reviews here: http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2013..., http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2013...)
In today's world where people are traveling with much more frequency than ever in the past and even in America where we are seeing much more interaction with the various cultures and peoples of other nations, it is of vital importance that children learn about the countries, people, and customs around the world. I have felt for a long time that knowledge of the geography of this world and "social studies" - or study of people and cultures - is abysmal in our educational system. So the introduction of this little series for the young child is a welcome change in that which has been so lacking.
As in the earlier books in the If You Were Me and Lived In.... series, an introduction to Kenya and to Norway each features a young brother and sister and their family. You see how the language of that country in the series is distinct to the country.
In Kenya you say Baba for daddy and Mzazi for mommy and in Norway Pappa and Mama (kind of like Papa and Mama in English). You will learn across the world that the words for daddy and mama are very similar. However, that is not the case with other words in the various languages. You're welcome in Norway is Din Velkommen. A bit similar, but different. You will learn about the colorful country of Kenya and especially the Massai peoples located in and near the large city of Nairobi. When you venture into Norway, you will see that it is a cold land and that the "days" are extremely long - hence the name land of the midnight sun.
Carole P. Roman is dedicated to helping children learn - good conduct, good behavior, and social studies. Her interest in children learning is further illustrated in her generosity in providing copies for families to read to their children. So be sure you enter to win a copy each of If You Were Me and Lived in Kenya ...... Norway.
GIVEAWAY: Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. You may be blessed to be the winner of a copy of each book (Kenya and Norway) that Carole P.Roman is so generously providing. I will choose TWO WINNERS FOR THIS GIVEAWAY. Begins December 11 & ENDS January 7 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. Open to USA addresses only. http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2013...
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of each of these books was provided by the author to facilitate this review. Winner's copies are also provided by the author and will be mailed directly to the winners.
This is the second book that I have been privileged to review by Ms. Roman.
I really like how fun and exciting that she has made learning about other countries! My oldest enjoys reading books like these and we always spend time talking about the country, trying to pronounce the words that are included in the book, and we always do more research about each country.
This book is perfect for libraries, a child's own library, and a Social Studies teacher's library.
The writing is done in a way that children from ages Pre-K and up can understand.
Ms. Roman does a terrific job in making learning about other cultures and countries fun!
Thank you to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review.
Absolutely, always love Carole’s writing! My daughter always feels involved when Carole’s new book hits the mailbox. The information that are within the series are great. I really enjoyed the pronunciation guide, it was very informative. I have never left the South, so I have learned a lot through the books as well. If You Were Me and You Lived… series shows exactly the location of each place. My daughter says it is her “vacation” books, haha! (Got to love the mind of a 5 year old). You learn the diversity within each culture: language, food, currency, landmarks, activities, holidays, clothing, etc. We're Jumpin' Books
How would you like your pocket money to have a hole through it? Apart from making a snowman, what else could you make? Norwegian kids have a LOT of interesting things to do and eat. This is a great informative series for kids AND adults to read.
Carole P. Roman's If You Were Me series travels this time to "The Land of the Midnight Sun", Norway. As her previous books in this series,she gives bits of information about the country that would be most interesting to children. It covers places you would go, activities you would participate in, foods you would eat, and basic information about daily life in Norway.
I am always so impressed with these books. Text appears on one page with a full page illustration on the facing page. The illustrations are colorful and detailed. This is an excellent introduction for children to the world around us and cultures that are different from ours. I highly recommend the entire series.
I have had the great opportunity to review quite a few of Carole's books and I love them all. I subscribed my children to Little Passports world edition and we spend a great deal of time learning about so many places around the world. Carole's books are an excellent addition to our studies and learning process. These books have just enough interesting information to entertain children but not so much that they will shy away thinking it is too much work. I call it their accidental learning. If you have not read any of these books with your children you should consider it. They are awesome and entertaining.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In this book, we are introduced to life in Norway. It begins with explaining how during parts of the year, the sun never sets and is why Norway is called "The Land of the Midnight Sun". It also talks about it's favorite destination, The Snow Hotel and the many cold weather activities you could participate in.
As in the other books, there is a helpful pronunciation key at the end of the book.
I really like this series of books and the way they share factual information in a fun way. These books are perfect for children in Kindergarten - Second Grade and would make a great addition to any classroom library.
This book teaches children what life would be like if they lived in Norway. They will learn the capital, what continent they would live on, what their name might be, and what they would call their parents. They will also learn about currency, how to say "You're welcome.", where they would go on vacation, what kinds of things they would do for fun, what they would eat, and so much more.
My kids and I have read many books in this series and are loving them. It is such a great way to teach your children about other cultures and how others may live differently or the same as them. We are looking forward to the next one!
The land of the midnight sun. The Kirkenes Snow hotel. Syttend Mai Day. There is so much more included in this terrific book for young ones.
This is another beautiful book to use as a teaching tool. The pronunciation page is awesome! Helping young ones to learn more about their world and the people in it. Carole P. Roman is a master at producing fun and educational materials.
I found no issues.
I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because our young ones can't have enough good material in their library. ~Copy of book provided by author in exchange for a fair review~
If You Were Me and Lived in... Norway is part of a children's series that should really be in every parent and grandparent's library! This book is written to enrich your child's mind about Norway. The illustrations catch the eye, and the words are perfect for children. It touches every aspect of a child's life in Norway, without being overwhelming for little ones. A well-recommended read.
In this book of the series you will learn about snowmobiling, ice fishing, dogsledding, and why they celebrate May 17th. Find out why and when they eat waffles with cream. What is so special about the Kirkenes Snow Hotel. Start your child out learing about different cultures through these wonderful books.
Fun book showing children how children in Norway live. Lots of good information to learn and good discussion topics. Pronunciations in the back of the book. The kids really enjoyed it and we talked about all the differences. Very good.
You will enjoy this book no matter your age, as it is filled with numerous interesting facts about Norway. I'm an adult and learned about Norway in school. However, I forgot a lot and enjoyed learning things I was never taught. This series of books is wonderful.
Many little kids dream of visiting different countries, and/or want to learn more about people who live in other countries. In seeking out a book to help teach children about different countries, parents want to find something that is informative and takes children's curiosity and ability to absorb information seriously.
LONG STORY SHORT... Children are invited to look at a new culture from the point of view of a child who already lives in that culture, and accordingly knows it inside and out. Children are invited to consider culturally relevant nicknames, foods, sports, important holidays, passtimes, and words from the local language (complete with pronunciation guide). Colorful pictures provide beautiful examples of all of the above. This is a wonderfully informative book that I will enjoy reading and re-reading to my son.
Now, my Dibbun (my son - not his real name, this is a nickname adopted from the Brian Jacques "Redwall" books) helped me review Roman's work. He liked it too! My son is a wiggly little boy and this book is a little above his reading level (he is only 18 months old). Yet he actually sat through the whole thing while I read it to him. He rarely does that for books with this many words. Roman - you have earned his attention and approval!
In short, Dibbun and I rate this book a 4 out of 5!
LONG STORY...
The Good It is hard to find a good children's book that is informative, takes children's curiosity as well as their innate ability to learn seriously, and is actually fun to read. Roman has accomplished all of this here! If you were me... is a delightfully written book that I very much look forward to reading again and again with my Dibbun. The illustrations are colorful, bright, and engaging. The writing is quick and easy to get into, and geared beautifully towards the intended audience. As far as design is concerned, I love how well the words and pictures go together, as well as how they are positioned near/over each other. Visually stunning and a joy to listen to!
Roman's teaching background really shines through here - it is pretty obvious this was written by someone who has read a lot of books to kids and knows the hiccups that can occur when a children's book is not written well.
I learned quite a few things about Norway from this book...though I'm sure my Norwegian friends would shake their heads at my pronunciation of some of the words taught here in the local language. =)
BUT, let's leave this up to the ultimate reviewer - my son!! He is a wriggly little guy who barely sits more that a few minutes in one place unless food is in front of his face. Books that have lots of words (like this one) generally don't hold his attention because he is only 18 months old. This book held his attention. =) He loved it..and especially loved the pictures that included dogs.
Oh, and this book made me incredibly homesick for my home state - Alaska. It seems that Alaska and Norway share a few things in common.
The Bugly There are just a couple of nit-picky things One of the words in the local language does not show up in the pronunciation guide - only one is missed. Most of the things described can describe Alaska as well (Northern Lights, Norway being called "The Land of the Midnight Sun", winter passtimes, ice hotel (there is one in AK too)). This bothered me a bit, mostly because I felt as though something depicting a culture in a different culture should not have so many elements that could be applied to a place within our own culture. There is plenty presented here that is unique to Norway, but still.
I well and truly love this book - it is absolutely delightful!!
While some do argue to the contrary, there is no real doubt that children in the United States need to grow up being exposed to other cultures. The simplest and easiest exposure is the development of children's books where the topic is how children live in other countries. This is the second book that Roman has developed in her "If You Were Me and Living In ..." series and it is clearly a valuable educational resource. Written at the level of the early elementary school student, there is an average of approximately five short lines of dialog on one page with an associate image on the facing page. The images are clear and colorful without the colors being overwhelming, a few Norwegian words are included and pronunciations are given in an end page. The scenes are all based on an aspect of the country of Norway and the actions are those of children. There is a large Norwegian population in Northeast Iowa and there is an annual Nordic Fest in Decorah. Therefore, I have had some exposure to the Norse culture. In that region the standard joke about how you solve a difficult problem involving machinery is "First you cuss it in Norwegian." This book is an excellent introduction to the Norse culture that has had a significant influence on the American society.
This book was made available for free for review purposes and appears on Amazon.
First thanks to the Author and Bostick Communications for allowing me to read and review this book.
I have given both of this book 5 stars out of five and they are well worth this in fact I would give them more than this if I could. They are well written and illustrated.
The Information in this book is presented as a a story which gives the reader information about the countries customs and cultures. The story will keep a child engaged and make them want to learn about different countries and cultures.
This book along with the others in the series will be a useful part of a Geography Curriculum wether it be school or home school based as they will be a good way to introduce children to countries and their cultures/customs.
I will recommend these books to others as well as buying them as gifts for other children, and I will use them as part of my Homeschooling Geography Curriculum.
Award-winning Carole P Roman's series If You Were Me and Lived in...is a wonderful way to introduce children, ages pre-K to 8 years, to cultures of people around the world. Norway, beautifully illustrated by Kelsea Wierenga and simply written, is sure to capture a child's interest and imagination. A pronunciation guide at the back and embedded within the book enables children to learn simple words and names of places in Norway. From celebrating Syttende Mai, a national holiday, from eating smorbrod and vaffels to vacationing at The Kirkenes Snowhotel where furniture is made from snow, kids will learn about Norwegian traditions, foods, and geography. It is well known that books can take an armchair reader (or one sitting on a lap) anywhere and Roman does a fantastic job of taking her readers to Norway, a place of beauty and age-old customs. Highly recommended for a child's library. I received my book from a contest.
Are your young readers ready for an adventure? Take them on a journey to another country without leaving your home. Learning about other cultures is interesting and provides a better understanding of how other people live and thrive. If you are in Norway you might live in a capital city called Oslo where you might find 343 lakes and two rivers.
“A kroner is the type of money you would use when you went into the store for bread. When the shopkeeper say “Thanks You,” you would respond, “Din velkommen.” Can you guess what that means?”
Young readers will learn so much about the culture, sports, foods, holidays and even clothing. Simple colorful illustrations share the lifestyle of this wonderful country. Simple sentences make it easy for young readers to follow along and pick up the words as they learn about Norway and its culture.
The first book in this series that I read was "If you were me and lived in... South Korea" and it got me excited about reading the whole series. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading all the books in this series to my twin grandchildren.
There is a bit of history, a bit of everyday life, geography and a nifty pronunciation guide at the end of the book. I'd love to visit the Kirkenes Snowhotel - made totally out of snow and ice.
The illustrations are colorful and informative.
This is a great series to introduce younger children to different cultures around the world.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Here is the 4th book in the If You Were Me And Lived In series. This edition is about Norway, a country in Northern Europe.
Even though these are for children I am surprised by how much I did not know. I did not know like Alaska in the USA that Norway has days where the Sun never sets. Even learning Norweigan words is fun. I like that there is not so much information that it overwhelms me.
I think some of the books in this series could have sequels because I am sure that there is so much more information on each country it can not fill a 32-page picturebook.
I have more from this series to read and review. I hope to do them soon and I hope this series continues.
If You Were Me and Lived in Norway is the third in the "If You Were Me..." series written by author Carole P. Roman. With a teaching background, Carole introduces children to a new country, new culture, and the wonders of living in another part of our fabulous world.
I love these books. They are very helpful when trying to learn about new cultures. They are filled with a lot of information. I know for a fact that every time my daughter reads one of these books, she actually learns something new.
Just like the other books in the series, If You Were Me and Lived in..., they start out showing you where the country is located along with the capital of that particular country. We are then given an interesting fact about the capital/country. For instance, Oslo (the capital of Norway) has 343 lakes and two rivers. As the journey continues, we learn about the different foods that are eaten, names children might have, money that one would use, and much more. The part that really excited my daughter is learning about holidays and traditions that take place in other countries. At the end of the book there is a list of pronunciations.
The art work is just as amazing. Bright vivid colors along with cartoon like drawings help draw children in and keep them interested in the book.
Like I have stated before, I really like this series and think that everyone would benefit from having them in their homes.