If You Were Me and Lived in....

Carole P. Roman, author of the "If You Were Me" series of books, has moved her focus from various countries in the modern world to various places and eras in history.  As her books about the modern day do, these new books all follow a similar format, making it easy to compare the life of children in various eras.  We learn about names, religion, schooling, housing, chores and more.

The concepts and vocabulary in these books seemed aimed at 4th or 5th graders, but the kids that age who are used to chapter books may find these too babyish.  Still, for a teacher who wants to introduce a time period with a quick story-type overview these books would be ideal. I could also see giving them to kids who have trouble reading longer books.  

I'd like to thank Carole P. Roman for providing complimentary review copies.  I hope my daughter's school enjoys them.  Grade: B 

Title Showcase: If You Were Me and Lived In China

If You Were Me and Lived in...China: A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World

I've reviewed and showcased other books in this series.  Recently this one showed up in my mailbox.  I've been donating them to my daughter's school and I hope they are useful for things like Global Awareness Day.  As I said in the other reviews, the books are all the same except that the country changes, and therefore the words used, places visited and so forth change.  I think the series is a great way to show kids that we are all different, but all the same in so many ways.  

Captain No Beard Strikes Again

I recently received the latest two books in this charming series about a group of kids who pretend to be  pirates and the life lessons they learn. Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles: Captain No Beard  features Fribbet telling the other crew members about the new tadpoles at his house and how they develop.  He also admits that he isn't sure he likes them because they take up all of Mom and Dad's time.  Captain No Beard admits that his baby sister can be a bit of a bother, but he loves her and is glad he has her.

In A Flag for the Flying Dragon: A Captain No Beard Story the kids are again playing pirate ship.  This time, there is a new younger child playing with them and as often happens when the little kids want to play with the big kids, conflict ensues because the little ones can't do what the big ones can and seem to be in the way.  Captain No Beard comes to the rescue again with a job the little one can do, showing once  again what a good leader he is.

I'd like to thank Carole P. Roman for providing complimentary review copies of these books.  They will be donated to my daughter's school library.  Grade:  B.  

Children's Book Review: Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis

Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis

About the Book:

Captain No Beard and his crew of loyal pirates heave anchor for another adventure, this time in the icy waters of the Arctic. 

Captain No Beard's steering a course due north, sailing by the light of the North Star. Everyone on the crew wonders what the captain's up to, especially as he gets embarrassed when they ask. 

When the captain finally admits his plan, the crew discovers he plans to steal the aurora borealis, the beautiful northern lights that brighten the arctic sky. They're all shocked. They may be pirates, but even they know stealing is bad. Besides, how can anyone steal the lights from the sky? 

A charming, engaging tale about doing what's right, Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis is the latest installment in Carole P. Roman's award-winning pirate series. The first book, Captain No Beard—an Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life, received the Kirkus Reviews Best of 2012 award and the Star of Remarkable Achievement. The series presents real-life problems in an imaginary setting and encourages discussion with both parents and educators.

My Comments:

Every child has been tempted to take something that did not belong to him or her, and every child has justified the choice.  Of course, we know that isn't something we want to encourage and in this delightful story, Captain No Beard learns from his crew why he can't steal, and what he can do instead.  

I'd like to thank the author, Carole P. Roman for sending me this book.  I hope the kids at my daughter's school enjoy it.  Grade:  B.  

If You Were Me and Lived In....Children's Book Review

My Comments:  I've enjoyed flipping through this charming set of children's books.  The storyline is pretty much the same in all of them.  They begin with a boy and a girl pointing out the country on a map.  The capital city is identified (India's is New Delhi) and there is a picture of a major feature in the capital (in South Korea it is the Han River).  Next, some common boys' and girls' names are given (in Norway Gunnar, Magnus, Bjorn or Birgitte, Anne or Hellena), and the words for Mommy and Daddy are identified (Mzazi and Baba in Kenya)..  The local currency is named (peso in Mexico) and a local tourist attraction is named and shown (Eiffel Tower in France).  Popular foods are described (tamale in Mexico) as is the favorite local sport (almost always soccer).  We are told about the children's toys as well (skies in Norway).  Finally, we learn a little about a favorite holiday (Mombasa Carnival in Kenya)and then learn what school is called in that country (ecole in France).  The pictures (drawings, not photographs) show the landscape, the insides of homes, the clothing the kids wear and more. Each book ends with a pronunciation guide to help with the country-specific words. In short, there is a lot of information in these short books.  

The author states these books for for kids in pre-k through age 8 and I'd say that's about right.  The limited text and large pictures make it seem too babyish for older kids, though the vocabulary could be a bit much for a younger independent reader.  Honestly, I don't know how most kids would take the repetitive nature of the books--each is basically the same story, only the locations and details have changed.  They aren't really stories, they are child-friendly descriptions of the countries.  

I'd like to thank the author for providing complimentary review copies of these books as well as some goodies for my youngest (a blow-up globe and a pencil).  Grade:  B+.