The Children’s Book Review | May 2, 2014
If You Were Me and Lived in … Australia: An Introduction to Learning About Other Cultures
Paperback: 28 pages
Age Range: 4-8
Publisher: CreateSpace(March 26, 2014)
ISBN: 978-1490522395
What to expect: Australia, Places, Language, Food, Culture, Sports
Here’s a bonza (first-rate) addition to award-winning author Carole P. Roman’s fun and informative series, If You Were Me and Lived in …. This time readers are introduced to the sunburned country found down under in the southern hemisphere, Australia.
In easy language suitable for children ages 4-8, Roman teaches that Australia is not only a country but a continent, too—and she provides a quick explanation of what a continent is. We learn about why Canberra was selected to be the capital city and that Australia is home to the largest reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef. Kids will enjoy trying out sample Aussie names like Jack and Ruby and will also have fun calling their mommies by the Australian version: Mummy (m-uh-mee). The regular Australian gathering of the family barbie—also known more formally as the BBQ—is certainly a part of the Australian culture and a fun tidbit to share; kiddos mouths may or may not begin to water at the thought of eating the popular lunchtime Vegemite sandwich made of a dark brown paste spread on white bread with butter.
The illustrator has done a nice job with the artwork. The adorable child narrators have happy, freckly faces and the close-up of the pair in front of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House is perhaps one of the best illustrations in the entire series. The only thing missing in the illustrations is the inclusion of the Aboriginal Australian’s whose ancestors were indigenous to the Australian continent, which Roman points out have lived on the large island for over forty thousand years.
The information that Roman has provided is fair dinkum (accurate) and well condensed for the intended audience. What a little ripper of a book!
Add these books to your collection:
If You Were Me and Lived in … Australia: An Introduction to Learning About Other Cultures
If You Were Me and Lived in … India: A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World
If You Were Me and Lived in … Turkey: A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World
If You Were Me and Lived in … Kenya: A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World
If You Were Me and Lived in … Norway: An Introduction to Learning About Other Cultures
If You Were Me and Lived in … South Korea: A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World
If You Were Me and Lived in … France: A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World
If You Were Me and Lived in … Mexico: A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World
About the Author
A former social studies teacher, award-winning author Carole P. Roman has added a new book to her cultural education series titled “If You Were Me and Lived in … Australia.” Other books in the series have featured France, South Korea and Turkey, and the book about Mexico was awarded the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs Pinnacle Award for Best in Children’s Interest in 2012. Roman loves to learn about many places, but there’s no place like home and family in Long Island, N.Y.
For more information, visit: http://caroleproman.com
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. The author of “If You Were Me and Lived in … Australia” paid for this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …
