Let's eat! What children eat around the world- Non-Fiction Book #1

The Book

Hollyer, B. (2003). Let's eat! What children eat around the world. New York: Henry Hold and Company, LLC.

Summary

Let's eat! What children eat around the world describes the lives of 5 children from different places around the world. The children are from France, Mexico, South Africa, India, and Thailand. Each child tells of their daily routines, what they like to eat, and a special day in each one of their lives. There are recipes from each one of the children at the back of the book along with a food glossary which defines the unique foods from each country.

Response

This book really gives its readers a good look into what children's lives are like in different parts of the world. I really enjoyed this book and all the photographs that were provided to support each child's story. The photographs added a real and personal touch to each story and allowed me to feel closer to the story and be able to relate to it better. The addition of a food glossary as well as recipes provided by each child was also a really great idea and I think children could have a lot of fun with this book. They could make the recipes provided and really get to know more about children around the world, their food, lifestyles and traditions.

Awards received/Reader's advisory information

This book received the IRA teacher's choice award, but I could not find the year in which it won it. The theme of this book is what children eat around the world, as well as their different cultures and traditions. I think this is a good book for children of all ages as it allows them to see the similarities and differences amongst children from different countries. They would be able to relate to the stories and develop a better understanding of cultures around the world. However, I do think it would be most beneficial for children aged 5-10 as this is the age range that the books seems to be focused towards with the amount of pictures and style of writing. Some of the writing would be difficult for younger children but they could look at the pictures or have a family member or teacher read it to them. The recipes could be used as an activity in the classroom and each thing could be made so the children would have a chance to test the food from other countries. The recipes could also be used at home and shared with the family.