I can't wait to share 3 more books written by Carole P.Roman today. She has definitely become a favorite Author in our house. Recently we were given 3 books to review from the Carole P. Roman books and collections. We were given the If You Were Me and Lived in... Germany, If You Were Me and Lived in... China and If You Were Me and Lived in... Italy. All of them are apart of the A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World Series. I have many of her other books and have loved every single one of them. You can check those out on a previous blog posts Here and Here.
I just have to say real quick that one of the main reasons I love this specific series so much is because as a homeschooling Mom with Kiddos of all ages, it's nice that these books are truly fit for any age child to read or be read to. My older kids enjoy reading just as much as my youngest. The facts are a mix of simple everyday facts to Historic places and moments in time. The kids and I always have fun sounding out the new words used throughout the books in the language used in the country we are reading about. And the kids always point out how the pictures in all of the books use real photos along with drawn illustrations and it's very appealing to them. Learning about the culture and daily life of people in another country with these books always pulls my kids deeper into our Geography lessons.
I have to talk about If You Were Me and Lived in... Germany first, because we are learning to speak German and are planning to go visit there in a few years. So, you can bet we opened this book first. Right away we learn some Geography and History regarding Germany as a country and their capital, Berlin. You are taken on a little day trip with "your family" that includes a bike ride, visiting with other family and watching Germany's most popular sport. Our family favorite was being introduced to German words which included phonetic pronunciation, this is so helpful. We learned about the German mark and some beautiful and famous tourist locations as well as fun festivals. The little descriptions of these places along with the photos give a great sneak peak into what you would do if you lived in Germany. But, wait...what is there to eat? Well, schnitzels, oversized pretzels and apfelstrudel! And if all that wasn't enough to wet your whistle there are even more fun and interesting facts towards the back of the book along with a glossary filled with new to you words found throughout the book.
If You Were Me and Lived in... China follows the same nature of the previous book. It's nice this way because children can know what to expect. We already know a lot about China, but we still learned a few new things. Like how the name China came to be. And that in the Capital of China, which is Beijing there is a palace in the Forbidden City. This palace from the early 1400's has over 4,000 rooms and some are so hidden and secret that they haven't been found yet. We are taken on a family outing and was able to see some impressive sights of China. After seeing the Terracotta soldiers we get to learn about regional foods....did you know that the Chinese eat fried ice cream? Before we end our trip to China we get to learn about their favorite sports and experience a few of their traditions and holidays. Once again at the back of the book is a pronunciation guide of words found throughout the book along with their meaning.
The last book I have to share with you is called If You Were Me and Lived in... Italy. This book takes us to the boot shaped country of Italy where we briefly go back into ancient times. We are told all about Rome before we spend the day with family and visit the famous Coliseum. Along the way we enjoy some sweet treats and a typical lunch. Speaking of food, when we visit our grandparents we get a little lesson in classic cuisine.....yummy! You can tell family is important here as you read about how they celebrate the women in their lives and how the town closes down so everyone can enjoy the start of summer each year. Don't worry, you don't need to already know Italian before reading, there is a pronunciation guide conveniently at the back of the book to help you out.
It's no question that we adore these books. We read them together and independently. And over the years we have continued to flip through them and reread. I usually keep them on the book table for a few weeks before housing them in the book shelf according to whichever unit study the particular country goes well with. Both Mahala a senior this year and Kaden who is 11 has enjoyed having these in our home library. If you are looking for last minute Easter basket ideas.....here you go, a few of these would be perfect. Also for birthday party favors, children's gifts, even if you were having friends over for a themed dinner this would be perfect to have for the kids to learn about the country that night's meal originated from.
Make sure you head over and Connect with Carole P.Roman on Social Media today and check out the many books she has to offer your family.
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