A book about the cultures and activities of children around the world. There are sections covering everything from playtime to manners across many countries. There are sections that touch on language, food, family, school and animals, each giving examples from many nations. The list of countries covered, the stylised world map, and format are easily accessible for even younger children looking for information.
An interesting decision has been made to place childhood pictures of the author and illustrator on the title page. I am not sure if this is engaging or misleading for younger readers and, as a supervising adult, I would certainly talk about this decision with children. The flags on the contents page are good, but only cover thirty-two of the countries mentioned in the book, a full set would be more useful if the book is being used to begin teaching research skills.
The illustrations are by Harriet Lynas and the information is dispersed amongst her colourful backgrounds and pictures in small chunks, which allow younger readers to seek out facts in a fun and exploratory manner. It is often in the smaller text that the name of the country is found. Some choices in text and background colours make them hard to read, as does the text size.
Overall, this is a well-rounded collection of information. I was disappointed that all the Baltic States were not included as all three are unique, but I understand that space and diversity influence decisions. I am sure young readers and researchers will enjoy this book, either to flip through out of interest or to seek specific information in their research.
Reviewed by Leanne Caune
Rating out of 10: 7
Distributed by: Nosy Crow Books via Allen & Unwin
Released: August 2018
RRP: $27.99 hardcover
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