Monday, April 20, 2009

Reading Around the World for Preschoolers

A couple of months ago I got a preschool book bag request for "All Around the World" and it inspired me to compose a few book lists about people all around the world and multiculturalism. Here are some of my favorite multicultural books for young kids.

Reading Around the World - For Preschoolers


You and Me Together: Moms, Dads, and Kids Around the World by Barbara Kerley. Short, simple rhyming text and stunning colorful photos make this great for sharing with a group.

Yum! Yuck!: A Foldout Book of People Sounds From Around the World and Mung-Mung: A Foldout Book of Animal Sounds by Linda Sue Park. Both of these colorful picture books show how different sounds "translate" in different languages. In America, a cow says "Moo!" What do they say in Japan?

The Pebble Plus Life Around the World series from Capstone Press has many great titles including Families in Many Cultures and Homes in Many Cultures. I love the Pebble Plus books for preschoolers and early readers because they have large, vibrant photos and really simple text.

Homes Around the World ABC by Amanda Doering is another colorful book about all kind of homes all over the world.

Market! by Ted Lewin gives young readers a glimpse inside several different shopping markets worldwide. If your preschoolers have only ever been to the grocery store on the corner, give them a glimpse of markets in Ecuador or Morocco.

Can You Count Ten Toes?: Count to 10 in 10 Different Languages by Lezlie Evans. Rhyming verses introduce the words for the numerals 1-10 in different languages.

Let's Eat: Foods of Our World by Janine Scott. This book compares eating habits and customs from countries around the world.

Families by Ann Morris. The simple text in this book describes families around the world. How is your family different from a family in Vietnam? How is it the same as a family from Saudi Arabia? Large color pictures make this a great book to pore over with mom, dad, brother, and sister.

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Check out the roundup at Mommy's Favorite Children's Books.