Thursday, September 17, 2009

Two For the World...

How Many Donkeys?: An Arabic Counting Tale
retold by Margaret Read MacDonald and Nadia Jameel Taibah
illustrations by Carol Liddiment
Albert Whitman and Company, September 2009
review copy provided by the publisher

I can't wait to share this book with my class! For the first time, my Arabic-speaking students will be the experts as they help us to count to 10 in Arabic, moving across the page from right to left. ALL of the students will be delighted by this Saudi folk tale of a numbskull who can't keep track of his donkeys. He starts off with ten, but when he counts them as he's riding along, he only counts nine. Lucky him, when he gets off to recount the donkeys, the lost donkey reappears! (I LOVE stories where the reader is smarter than one of the characters!!)


One World, One Day
by Barbara Kerley
National Geographic, 2009
review copy provided by the publisher

With photographs from around the world, and sparse, but descriptive text, Barbara Kerley takes us around the world in one day, showing and telling us that the world's children have more in common than they might think. They all get up, clean up, and go to school. They all come home, and work and play and spend time with families. They all wonder, "What's for dinner?" They all rest and dream to get ready for one more day. Great for conversation starters about differences between classmates, as well as differences between cultures.


...and a bonus for Constitution Day:

Every Human Has Rights: A Photographic Declaration for Kids
National Geographic, 2008
review copy provided by the publisher

While you're talking about the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution, you might want to read this list of rights for the citizens of the world, based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This book is illustrated with vividly descriptive photographs that are accompanied by poetry by children from around the world. Best for students in intermediate through high school (and beyond), this book is an important addition to upper level conversations about rights, freedoms and privileges.

3 comments:

  1. This is so funny! Last night I wrote a review of One Day, One World. I was going to post it with the one I did today, but it seemed to long, so I cut it off, to save for Saturday! Great minds think alike, I guess!

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  2. Ooh, I will remember that one to share as well.

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  3. Hi Franki and Mary Lee --

    Thanks so much for sharing ONE WORLD, ONE DAY with your readers.

    I wanted to add that I have teacher activities on my web site:
    barbarakerley.com

    Enjoy!

    Barbara Kerley

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