Hello, friends! Our book today is This Is How We Do It: One Day In The Life Of Seven Kids From Around The World by Matt Lamothe, a fascinating look at the differences and similarities in daily life across cultures and continents.

The first page proclaims “This is me,” and we are introduced to real-life children from seven locales: India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Peru, Russia and Uganda. We meet their families, learn about their schools, and gets a taste of their daily meals and chores. At last, as they tuck into their different beds for the night, we are shown that while their daily lives may be very different, they all share the same night sky.

Very interesting! Concise, matter-of-fact text describes the daily lives of the subjects, occasionally underlining a vocabulary word that is then defined in the glossary in the back of the book. The art is the real star here, using detailed, realistic digital illustrations that either recreate or emulate photos of the children’s lives. Social issues are sidestepped, understandably – this is meant as an introduction to global thinking, especially considering the final spread. However, this is definitely not meant for little bookworms to read in a single sitting: while JJ adored the art, the text is strictly informational and there’s a fair amount of it, so she was getting pretty squirmy 2/3 of the way through. But for slightly older readers, this is a great way to begin thinking about the larger world around them, and the children – both unlike and and just like them in many ways – in it. Baby Bookworm approved!