Wake Up, World!: A Day in the Life of Children Around the World [Hardcover]

Beatrice Hollyer (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

Shakeel rides to school in an autorickshaw. Sasha builds houses in the snow. Cidinha helps her mother crack nuts to trade at the market. All around the world children are waking up, going to school, helping their families, and playing with their friends.

Wake Up, World! follows eight children from eight different countries as each one goes through his or her day. Young readers can see how their own lives compare with other children's in such diverse places as Ghana and Russia, Australia and Vietnam, Brazil and England, India and the United States. A portion of the proceeds for this book will be donated to Oxfam, a non-profit organization working to address the causes of poverty and social injustice.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 1-3-A simple look at some of the ways in which people differ in the details of their lives but are similar in their overall values. Two-page spreads of full-color photographs focus on a specific aspect of daily life, such as waking up, school, or playtime, and convey information about the homes, families, and lifestyles of a group of youngsters from eight different countries. A brief explanatory paragraph introduces each topic and each child's blurb is accompanied by a symbol that follows his/her story throughout the book. At bedtime, Anusibuno from Ghana and Cidinha from Brazil are shown falling asleep in the heat listening to sounds of the animals outdoors, while Shakeel from India and Alexis from Australia listen to stories before drifting off to sleep. There are some beautiful photographs here, but the effectiveness of a few of the spreads is marred by the small size of some of the images and/or the lack of distinguishing details. An outline map pinpoints the location of each country, and a short end section explains aspects of each nation's culture. There is a good balance of children from a variety of cultures, and the periodic use of their own words makes their stories inviting. While geared to a similar audience as Patricia Lakin's Growing Up: Around the World (Blackbirch, 1995; o.p.), Hollyer's work is more personal and provides more information.
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The opening double-page spread introduces eight children, from a variety of countries around the world, who experience a typical day from sunrise to sunset. Sharp contrasts are shown: Sasha lives in frigid Siberia; Cidinha lives in northern Brazil near the steamy Amazon rain forest. The selection of countries and kids is nicely balanced, and Hollyer does a good job of highlighting similarities, even as she shows each distinct culture. Extensively captioned photos chronicle each part of the day, giving a sense, often through the child's own words, of the foods, the dress, what school is like, and what activities are done for fun. Good inspiration for children to chronicle a typical day in their own lives. Lauren Peterson

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (September 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805062939
• ISBN-13: 978-0805062939
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wake Up, World!, June 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Wake Up, World!: A Day in the Life of Children Around the World (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful, optimistic book to introduce the world andseveral of its diverse cultures to children in terms that they canunderstand: the lives of children like them!

It introduces them to other children in 8 countries and takes readers through a day in the life of these children. The concept that children might have no toys, or that a girl may have only one shirt and one skirt, was very foreign to my children, but the book presents the realities of these cultures without any condescending tone. Instead it makes the lives of each child seem intriguing.

The 8 children come from Brazil, Vietnam, Ghana, India, USA, Australia, England, and Russia. My only criticism is the omission of any children from Spanish speaking countries. I think the book would have been even more interesting with fewer "western" countries, since the children from USA, Australia, and England had such similar lifestyles, and more "other" countries. I would have especially liked to seen a Middle Eastern culture presented, and China, Japan, and at LEAST one spanish speaking country in Central, South or North America. Coming from the viewpoint of an American reader, with so many people in modern day USA from spanish speaking descent, it seemed an ominous omission.

But maybe that can be book two in the series! I hope so. This book is a good start to introducing culture, geography, and most importantly, an appreciation that through all our differences, people are the same the world over. I highly recommend it!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is is time to read yet?, November 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Wake Up, World!: A Day in the Life of Children Around the World (Hardcover)

My children and I love this book! My only complaint is that it is not long enough. We humbly suggest book two!
We use this in our homeschool, and find the lives of children around the world very fascinating. We get a peek into the lives of 8 different children, how they wake up, eat, play, go to school, etc. I was looking for something along the lines of "Children just like me", and finding nothing, settled on this book. I wish the stories were a bit longer, but the pictures are bright and fresh and very appealing.
Enjoy!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wake up, World, March 9, 2010

By 

Preciousgio "Preciousgio" (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wake Up, World!: A Day in the Life of Children Around the World (Hardcover)

My sons really enjoy this book. It is so interesting to read how other children live - especially children who don't have all the comforts we have.