Children Just Like Me

Children Just Like Me by Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley

From School Library Journal: A delightful, attractive look at children from around the world. The authors spent two years meeting and photographing youngsters from every continent and more than 140 countries. The volume is divided by continent, which is introduced with photos of children, their names, and nationalities. Then a double-page spread features pictures of each child's food, eating utensils, housing, school, friends, and family. The text gives the young people a chance to comment on their favorite games, friends, and hopes for the future. The final section includes excerpts from the Kindersleys' travel diary. This book is factual, respectful, and insightful. It provides just the right balance of information and visual interest for the intended audience.

From Carey, an IAN waiting mama: I love, love, love this book! My (bio) sons (3 and 4 years old) like to look at the kids and have me read about their lives. It's opened up a lot of great discussions about how differently people live, yet we have so many similarities.

There is a spread dedicated to Tadesse, a nine year old boy in Ethiopia who lives in an orphanage because his father has died and his mother is not well enough to care for him and his siblings. (There is also a spread about a little girl in China who is an only child, with a mention of the government's concern of the growing population. Also, of possible interest to other adoptive parents, there are spreads on children in Russia, South Korea, India and Vietnam but not Guatemala.)

Every night my 4 year old asks to read about one of the children in the book. Since receiving this book over the holidays it has become part of our bedtime ritual...which I love.