This is How We Do It
Chronicle Books / Raincoast Books
By Matt Lamothe
52 pages
age 5 to 8
Synopsis from Raincoast Books:
Follow the real lives of seven kids from Italy, Japan, Iran, India, Peru, Uganda, and Russia for a single day! In Japan Kei plays Freeze Tag, while in Uganda Daphine likes to jump rope. But while the way they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their days-and this one world we all share-unites them. This genuine exchange provides a window into traditions that may be different from our own as well as a mirror reflecting our common experiences. Inspired by his own travels, Matt Lamothetransports readers across the globe and back with this luminous and thoughtful picture book.
We make our assumptions about the world based on our circumstances but we’re not all the same. Travel is a great reminder of this fact but not everyone can travel around the world. This is How We Do It illustrates for kids these differences in relatable scenarios. The is isn’t a story but closer to an illustrated piece of non-fiction.
The book follows seven families from different parts of the word (insert places). It walks through a child’s typical day, from eating breakfast and attending school to helping at home and what they do in the evening before bed. The illustrations give a quick visual of the differences supported with simple copy. Kids can expand their knowledge to based on a glossary at the back of the book covering new terminology covered throughout the book.
When you can’t take the kids to a new country to experience the difference around the world, stories are a nice alternative. At the end readers are introduced to the real families that helped complete these mini stories.
You can get an inside peek at this book in the following video review, published within our Picture Book playlist:
Additional Reading: Malaikas Costume.
You can find a copy of This is How We Do It from Raincoast Books Canada or your local bookstore. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations.