Friday, September 2, 2016

(GS LRC) September Book of the Month - What We Wear

A smiling child from Papua New Guinea wears a feathered crown and necklace, while two children from Ethiopia are adorned with decorative beads and shells. Another spread shows children from Japan, the United Kingdom, the U.S., and Malawi dressed in sports uniforms. Captions suggest context for the images; “Dressing up means celebrating who we are... and what we believe,” reads one.

What We Wear Dressing Up Around the World  -     By: Maya Ajmera, Elise Hoffer Derstine, Cynthia Pon

Everyone will be celebrating United Nations Day next month in honor of the namesake organization which promotes international cooperation. This month's feature can identify who we are: what team we play for or what team we root for, where we go to school, how we worship, or how we represent our heritage. What we wear expresses our individuality, and clothes can make us happy, confident, and proud.


Children everywhere wear clothes and accessories for different reasons whether it's a piper in a tartan plaid, a cowpoke in a cowboy hat, or a novice in ceremonial face paint but one thing they all have in common is that they are all unique and beautiful. Discover cultures in over 40 countries with double-page spreads full of uplifting photographs showcasing various kinds of clothes, costumes, masks, and more that children may be found wearing everywhere.

Image result

This nonfiction leaves plenty of room for questions since it doesn’t include any specific information about the apparel featured but end pages suggest ways for readers to discover more about clothing worn around the world both in the past and in the present. School Library Journal calls What We Wear a "resplendent homage to our common humanity".

Image result

This winner is a concise, well-written option for audiences as young as 4 years old but would also serve well for older children, perhaps coupled with more in depth discussions about diversity. What We Wear was developed by Global Fund for Children too, meaning a "portion of the proceeds will be donated to support innovative community-based organizations the serve the world's most vulnerable children and youth".

No comments:

Post a Comment