Rana DiOrio

This is a nice introduction to what it means to be "global", or internationally minded. It is pretty simplistic, so best suited for younger children. I didn't care for the illustrations, which showed would just serve to reinforce some stereotypes of cultures.

Curricular connections: It would work well in IB curriculum with the focus on international mindedness. It could be used to help young children understand how they can appreciate the cultures of other people around the world.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

What Does It Mean to Be American? is a super cute drama/conflict-free look at what it means to be an American, and basically, it all boils down to: being a decent person who cares about your family and others and always trying your best. I really enjoyed this and think it’s a perfect book for children to get a grasp on being proud of who they are and helping others.

The illustrations show more are very friendly and I was happy to see that they included a lot of diversity so that all sorts of children can see themselves represented, which is so important. I think everyone regardless of who they are will appreciate the values that this book is trying to instill in our young ones. Highly recommended!

Also posted on Purple People Readers. show less

This is an adorable story for very young children to read. It helps them learn about the importance of recycling but not only with our trash. It helps them learn good habits that will help them later on in life. For example, being conservative and not being wasteful is a big message in this story. The illustrations are very simple, using stick figures and little detail, but the wording moves and changes shape with the pictures. It is a very creative book that will capture young children's show more attention. show less

I liked this book a lot. The idea of truly examining the word present for its full intended meaning is really smart. I liked the writing, and the illustrations complimented the text well.