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August 2011: Discuss Our "Maps & Geography" Club Reads HERE
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http://www.lisakristine.com/
"Lisa Kristine is a San Francisco based photographer specializing in indigenous peoples worldwide. Through her work, Lisa wishes to encourage a dialogue about the beauty, diversity and hardship of our inter-locking world."
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As a kid, I loved trying to find objects in illustrations. I know this would have been a bit hit with my five year old self! ;-)
Jenny and Leslie, I think it's great your little ones picked up on how Simon should have been more careful with his things!
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But, hey, I am not the target audience and it's good to hear that this is a hit in Jenny's classroom :-)
Wow! I just joined this group and don;t have time to get ahold of these before going out of town, but I'll jump in in September and see what you all are reading then.I loved Adele & Simon - I read it to my 7 year old shortly after we had been to Paris, and she loved seeing things she recognized. Kids also really like books where they can look for something - not when it's the overwhelming point, like ISpy, but finding the item Simon had dropped made this book a big hit for my daughter. McClintock (sp?) never disappoints with illustrations either.
Kathryn wrote: "http://www.lisakristine.com/"Thanks for this link, Kathryn. I'm eager to take a closer look at what's on that page when I have a bit of free time!
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Mapping Penny's World was new to me. I liked this tail, er tale, of personal mapmaking. I thought the humor helped blunt the didacticsm quite a bit. I appreciated the variety of maps and hope that the names and usefulness of the symbols used will sink in to readers focusing on maps. I agree that a list of some resources or bibbliography at the end would have made this even more useful. It's also cute as a story about Penny, with very appealing pictures of her and her dog friends. The 'Penny's Trip Around the World' illustration is very creative, funny and my personal favorite.
I'd read How I Learned Geography before rather quickly and enjoyed returning to it. This gem impressed me even more on second reading. The folk style illustrations are excellent, with amazing use of color. The text really succeeds in capturing a child's voice while discussing the dark topics of war, hunger, and being a refugee. I thought the end info with the sketches and photo of Shulevitz make this book even more powerful. I loved the contrast between the cartoony illustration of the marketplace done as a thirteen year old with the folk style of the mature artist.
If the World Were a Village is a book I can't praise enough, and am so happy to have discovered. It really succeeds in helping both children and adults gain a better understanding of the world's peoples, population, ways of life, and global challenges. The final pages with advice on teaching children about the global village, including games and websites, and a note on global resources and how the calculations were made, are invaluable. I thought the illustrations really show the bustle within the world village.
This book should help teach children a valuable lesson about what we have in the world, compared to so many others, and that Americans are NOT the center of the universe. I thought the stats on hunger, air & water, money, and electricity were particularly telling. I read the newer updated edition and the stats on electricity included: 42 radios, 28 tv's (7 with cable), 61 phones (over 40 being cell phones) and 15 computers. I'm reading If America Were a Village now.
Madlenka was my least favorite book. I admire its positive qualities of showing diversity in the United States and the world, its imagination, and its artistry and design elements. I would include it in library collections. Like several others, however, I was bothered by a bit of stereotyping, the extreme darkness of illustrations in the France and Germany illustrations, and some people being referred to by their native country, others by their continent. The lack of a complete list of the cultural and literary elemnts shown, which would have made this book very useful, was disappointing and frustrating to me. The concept of a small girl going around her urban block by herself is a bit disconcerting, too.
Adèle Simon is another delightful discovery for me. I echo other's praise for this gem. It's a fantastic book that can be appreciated on many different levels. I love the details with child appeal such as the kittens, cats and dogs, the marching band, sweets, an ode to Madeleine, and acrobats, a sword swallower and jugglers. I adored the illustrated endpapers. The inclusion of the author notes at the end make this even more spectacular. Love it! School and public libraries should all have this book.
One World One Day was another pleasant discovery. The focus on the essential things we all do daily to show that we are one global family is wonderful. The photographs are superb and very effective in capturing the humanity and univeral commonalities in the subjects. My only gripe is that the captions on the thumbnail photos at the back could have been bigger so they could be more easily read.
These were all enlightening to read. Great selections!
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You're welcome!
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I loved Adele & Simon - I r..."
So glad to have you aboard, Zoe! I actually just announced the titles we'll be reading in September so I hope you'll be able to get them over the next few weeks :-)
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Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, David! I found myself nodding in agreement with much of what you said.
I really wish I had been able to get Madlenka since it has such mixed reviews! But, aside from satisfying my curiosity, I don't think I'm missing much by not reading it. (And I'm glad you mentioned that part about the girl wandering around by herself being a bit disconcerting; sometimes I feel like such a lame "grown-up" for being concerned about things like that in what is supposed to be a just-for-fun kid's book, but then I would never let my own children wander a city alone and like to find books that allow for imagination while still reflecting the safety values I hope to instill.)
I also appreciated reading another favorable review of Mapping Penny's World. Since I had such a "blah" reaction to it, I'm glad to know that other people liked it so much. It makes me think again about adding it to a home library since my (future) kids might be among those who enjoy it and it certainly does have educational value. (And, like you, the picture of "Penny's Trip Around the World" was also my favorite!)
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Thank you for letting us know, David! This is encouraging. Not that I think technology automatically solves problems, or even is an direct indicator of wealth, but I do think that there's a certain positive correlation.
Finally get to participate! I readMapping Penny's World to my two year old. Although she is quite young for the book, she enjoyed the find the object on the map pages. She also liked Penny. I wasn't as thrilled about the book, but do agree it makes a good tool for teaching kids about maps.
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I really appreciated what the author accomplished in taking such a huge figure (six billion! yowza! My brain hurts trying to comprehend that!) and making it more easy to relate to.
I think the book's purpose is two-fold, to create an understanding of the variety of people and situations in the world and to encourage an interest in them and their plight. The focus on environmental and other issues such as poor air quality, lack of clean water, and the challenges of girls receiving an education encourages action. I think Smith's book would be a good teaching tool for upper elementary school children but I also think that, in and of itself, it doesn't have quite enough emotional resonance or story to completely captivate and inspire; I think that, paired with a book like One World, One Day (where children can see other children and relate more easily to them), much good learning and responsible global citizenship can be accomplished.
On a personal note (and this is no criticism of the book) while I am a huge supporter of getting children to understand the world on a global scale and to appreciate diverse countries and cultures, I also think it is important for families to explain that even within ones own country, there are often vast differences in what people experience. I was fortunate enough to grow-up in a fairly affluent part of California and I still remember the first time we took a trip to the mid-west. I was shocked at some of the small, poorer towns that my parents purposely drove through so that my sister and I would realize how fortunate we were and that, even in America, people do not always have the same opportunities or amenities as we were used to. As I read the statistic about the 32 villagers that breathe air that is unhealthy because of pollution, I couldn't help but think of the stats on the airnow.gov website I looked at the other day that puts several areas of the US in the "unhealthy" category. Of course, I don't mean to compare a working class small town in Nevada or the air pollution of the Sacramento valley to the struggles in a small African village or the air pollution in Beijing, for example, but simply to say that even when children are not able to travel to other parts of the world, they can still develop an understanding of and sympathy to the differences in what people have and have not, and even starting within ones own "village," there is much room to cultivate "world-mindedness" and, as author David Smith says, "Knowing who our neighbors are, where they live and how they live, will help us live in peace." I'm eager to read the author's If America Were a Village: A Book about the People of the United States!
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Absolutely. Good for your parents for helping you see more of the differences across the country.
Kathryn, thanks for your view on this book: If the World Were a Village - Second Edition: A Book about the World’s People.After reading so many positive reviews about this book I was eager to read it. I was not able to get the edition or "world" book but I did get the America version. I think in looking over the book I got the concept.
I guess where I disagree with this books point is that my son is almost 5 yrs old and I want him to "slowly come to realize" the negative parts of life. I am not eager to teach him about pollution, hunger and lack of resources at this age. I want him to still think that super heroes can save the day.
Since I "looked through" the book, but chose to not read it to my son or spend the time reading over it page by page. I felt it was way above my son's head and I personally did not feel any connection to the book. When I compare this book to the One Day book which brought a tear to my eye and made my son sit still while I read it. In my opinion, just by using photos an few words, One Day did a better job at conveying the intended message.
I leave these book with mixed and some what of a disappointing feeling. Not my style and my son is to young for this type of book.
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After reading so many positive reviews about this book I was eager to rea..."
Leslie, yes, I think that If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World's People is probably better suited for elementary school children. I'm glad you screen the books ahead choosing those that will resonate most with your son and keep him enthusiastic about reading and the subject matter.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01...
"The film, directed by Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald and produced by Ridley Scott, uses thousands of clips from YouTube users around the world, all shot on July 24, 2010."
I've enjoyed the August selections and found that I agreed with things that most of you have said - except for Adèle & Simon. For some reason, the book didn't grab me all that much. I did think the storyline was cute as Simon lost everything piece by piece, exasperating his sister, and almost literally turning the city upside down as others helped search for his belongings. I don't think the style of the drawings was my cup of tea, however. And I was confused by the ending. How did everyone know where to find Simon to return his lost possessions? Was he passing out maps or something? I studied the book twice to find this missing piece and just couldn't find it.Madlenka was the other one I felt kind of so-so about. I did like the fact that it showed how, in the melting pot of the city, all these cultures co-existed. But the story itself and the illustrations didn't seem all that imaginative to me and just kind of fell flat somehow.
So before you all think I'm overly critical this month, I'll let you know that I absolutely loved all the other selections.
Some of you weren't so warm and fuzzy over Mapping Penny's World but I thought it was great! It fit our theme so well. I thought it was an excellent tool to show kids how to make and interpret a map. And I liked how the concept of "maps" was brought home to everyday life and one's own neighborhood. I remember when I learned about maps, it always seemed to involve either the entire US, a globe, or maybe the state I lived in. That's a little harder to relate to than your own back yard or your own bedroom. I thought that the dog Penny was awfully cute, too, and added interest and an element of fun for children. That was especially true when the map was made of all the things she had buried in the yard!
I found One World, One Day a joy to look at. I can see the point some have made in this discussion about not showing the negative. Yet, I think the negative can be inferred. If my son were to compare his surroundings to those of some of the children in the photographs, I know he would see that he has many blessings that others may not have. I found that the book did a great job of showing that no matter what our environment, nationality, and income level, we are all essentially people who can find much in common with each other. It's a great lesson to learn . . . I read every photo credit at the end and enjoyed the stories behind the photos. I also enjoyed seeing where all of these places are on the map. I felt like it was a book that one could spend many hours with.
If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World's People was an eye opener for me. It is a great tool to point out some of those imbalances in the world that are so distressing - like the number of people who don't have enough food. The illustrations were just beautifully done, and helped reinforce the hard, cold facts. My favorite illustration was at the very beginning, where you could count the number of folks in each group of people. It was a challenge to come up with the exact numbers but they really were all there!
How I Learned Geography was a big surprise for me. I did not expect it to be so engaging and intriguing. The father certainly took some grief from his family by spending money on something so impractical as a map when they were practically starving. Yet, that map infused some color and some hope into their world. As a matter of fact, most of the illustrations in the book seems to be absolutely infused with hope as the young boy dreamed of other places in the world and what they might be like. I especially enjoyed reading the end notes, and seeing a couple of the author's early drawings. Great book.
We read Madlenka. My daughter enjoyed finding Madlenka on every page. It also helped that we called out for her as we searched. We enjoyed the cut outs. I agree that some of the pictures were dark and hard to see. In fact, I thought someone had taken a pen to one page and doodled. I ran my finger across the page and there were no indention marks and realized it was the illustration. I was a little puzzled at some of the descriptions of the different cultures.
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Imagine also if a child were colourblind or had trouble distinguishing shapes, many of the illustrations are so uniform in colour shade/scheme that it's quite hard to distinguish objects, shapes etc., especially for the French, German and South American section. And I still think that a list of objects, as well as some supplemental information would have been helpful.
Gundula wrote: "Imagine also if a child were colourblind or had trouble distinguishing shapes, many of the illustrations are so uniform in colour shade/scheme that it's quite hard to distinguish objects,"I agree. Colorblind people would have more difficulty. A list would have been helpful.
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I found my eyes kind of sore after trying to find all of the objects and stories in the green-on-green German section (and I still think I missed a lot of objects, I don't know why Peter Sis did not include such a list).
I loved How I Learned Geography. I loved the message of how knowledge is valuable and lasting. I also enjoyed the authors comments at the end. This is a book that I want in my home. There is so much opportunity for discussion in such a simple story, much more than just "Maps & Geography." :)Madlenka had a cute story about the excitement and joy of sharing a simple discovery of a loose tooth. I love finding joy in simple things. My 8 year old liked how the maps connected and finding the little pink dot, Madlenka. I also liked how she had friends from all over the world which opens discussion and learning to more things. I too didn't care too much for the illustrations. I also didn't like how they grouped ALL of Asia as one because they are not all alike at all. Not one I would add to my personal family library...
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kay! I agree that one can use the photographs in One World, One Day as a springboard to go into some of the differences and "negatives" although I loved that the focus of the book was on the joyful similarities. I remember one photo did strike me, though, in the way you suggest; it was of children playing on a playground and in the background were very harsh, dark buildings and I think perhaps some barbed wire? It looked very grim in contrast to the bright playground. I don't remember now where that photograph was taken and already took my book back to the library, but I think it was Iran?
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Oh, they did!? That's really too bad.
I actually saw Madlenka at a bookstore the other day and peeked through it for a moment; I can see the point of those of you who felt that some of the illustrations were dark and unappealing. I don't think this is one I'd have been eager to take home with me, though I am glad to hear that many of you and your children did enjoy it.
I think this month, perhaps more than ever, we've had lots of variety in opinions about the books and some that were favorites for certain members were least appreciated by others and vice versa. It really enriched my understanding of each book to have the discussion and hear from others. I just love moderating this group and thank you all so much for participating :-) (Keep it comin'!)
I've just read two books and I've enjoyed both of them so far!Madlenka - I did enjoy the concept of this book about how a young girl is friends with many people from different countries and we can actually see the other countries through Madlenka's mind, but the only problem I had with this book was that it didn't featured other countries like Russia, Australia, Greece, Canada and many more that are rarely focused on. I would have liked it better if this book discussed countries that were rarely mentioned in any conversation since I love learning about different countries and it would be interesting to learn about countries I've rarely heard of. Also, I did enjoy some of the illustrations since I'm a fan of surreal art, but I will admit that the illustrations of the other countries were a bit too difficult to see because they were in really dark colors.
How I Learned Geography - I just loved this book to death! It was interesting learning about Uri Shulevitz's life during World War II and I loved the way that he used the map that his father gave to him as a way to get away from the awful reality that he was forced into. I loved the idea about how the boy used the map to go to different places around the world and therefore teaching him about where all the other countries are located at. The illustrations were truly beautiful, especially of the boy's exploits around the world.
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Madlenka - I did enjoy the concept of this book about how a young girl is friends with many people from different cou..."
I'm so glad you were able to read two of the books, Ronyell. That's a great point that many books tend to focus on the same countries, to the exclusion of others.
I thought this would be a great opportunity to point out to new members that we have a discussion folder "A Wide World of Children's Books" and many of the countries that are often overlooked are featured in threads. Not all of them are picture books, but there are some fabulous suggestions for those of us wishing to continue our armchair travels around the world:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...
Thanks Kathryn! I'll check out that thread!!
I just wanted to pop in from visiting relatives in CT before the month was over and say we read How I Learned Geography. We enjoyed it. I liked the illustrations and the story was intriguing. I felt empathy for the author and found it an inspirational story. He may have been physically hungry, but he developed a different kind of hunger, one of learning geography.
Nicely put Crystal! I just loved the way that the author found another way to enjoy himself during his time of need.
Ronyell wrote: "Nicely put Crystal! I just loved the way that the author found another way to enjoy himself during his time of need."I did too. =)
I know I'm a couple days late to comment on two more books, but I read it last month. ;) Adèle & Simon is a cute story of a brother and sister. My four year old and I enjoyed looking for all of Simon's lost items. I wondered two things...how they were able to do all the activities in one walk home and how everyone knew where Simon lived to return his lost items. I hope it didn't give the idea to my little girl that it is ok to be careless with your personal belongings because someone will return them. ;o)Honestly I didn't think that Mapping Penny's World's story wasn't all that exciting but it is a fabulous book to introduce maps to children. The map illustrations were wonderful and were the favorite part for my children. Just having the book around our home for a few weeks encouraged the children to make their own maps on their own. It was fun seeing the maps they made.
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Oh, you are never too late to comment, Ruth! ;-) You don't even have to read the books during the month; I hope that the threads will interest new members who might want to come check out the books and comment even months later. Still, glad you could post while the conversation is still current.
That's great your children were inspired by Mapping Penny's World :-) I felt that, while maybe not the best "storytelling" book, it's definitely a good one for introducing map making; I am glad to hear this was the case for you.
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I agree, Mapping Penny's World is not a great story-type book (and the illustrations, although bright, are kind of ho-hum). But as a teaching tool, it is a wonderful book (I remember we had just plain maps and a boring textbook, and I was utterly lost and bored at the same time). I still think though that Mapping Penny's World would be an even better and more usable teaching tool, had the author included teaching tips, exercises, definitions etc. at the back of the book.
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That's a good point! You know, I don't even think I thought too far about the people and all of that... I just kind of enjoyed it as a fun romp through the city, and I took it as a bit of a "tall tale" or something, almost. I love hearing these different perspectives! Makes me want to read it again ;-)
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http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/p...
Excerpts from the book James Mollison: Where Children Sleep
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Thanks for the link, Kathryn. I think the picture that bothered me most was the one of the little Romanian boy forced to sleep outside because his family is undocumented (and in Italy, which supposedly is part of the European Union, shameful).
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Yes, that was so sad!
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Not just sad, but infuriating ...
Since I'd already read three of the selections, here's an update on the remaining ones...We really liked One World, One Day and have since read another by Barbara Kerley, You and Me Together: Moms, Dads, and Kids Around the World. We just love all of the photographs.
We thought Mapping Penny's World was pretty good and I enjoyed sharing a story from my childhood with our girls relating to mapping out a room.
We just received If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World's People, and we haven't had a chance to read it yet. Will have to read that one ASAP.
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We really liked One World, One Day and have since read another by [author:Barbara Kerley|25..."
The Moms and Dads one sounds really sweet. Thanks!
Just finished If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World's People and posted my review. It was very interesting and informative and helped put the language, culture, health and welfare of the average world citizen into perspective. We really enjoyed it.
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I'm going to check wether the library has that movie, Chandra, it sounds enchanting.
I added Babies to our Netflix queue. Thanks for the recommendation!
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
One World, One Day (other topics)You and Me Together: Moms, Dads, and Kids Around the World (other topics)
If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World's People (other topics)
One World, One Day (other topics)
One World, One Day (other topics)
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This is a wonderful, wonderful book for sharing cultures with young children through real-world photography instead of imagined illustrations. Though the pictures practically speak for themselves, Kerley's sparse text is effective in providing some context and narrative flow. I love that the spirit of the book is one of hope and joy, showing that we are all united and that children find happiness and blossom everywhere.
Of course, one can also look deeper and use this as a springboard to show that not all children can come home from school with only homework and play on their minds, some have to work or must live in refugee camps, for example. The back matter with the photographer notes really elevated this to a five-star book for me. Some of these were just amazing stories in themselves, such as the boy from Guinea-Bissau who was obsessed with the photographer's soap and used it to lather up in the local watering hole, taking great joy in the experience and asking the photographer all manner of questions, including if they have a moon in America. Wow!