Book Review: If You Were Me and Lived in… by Carole P. Roman

x

ABOUT THE “IF YOU WERE ME AND LIVED IN…” BOOKS:

The “If You Were Me and Lived In…” books are an introduction to customs and cultures around the world. The series is a collection of twenty-two books designed to help children experience life from the perspective of a variety of other children from all around the world, in the hopes that they’ll see how similar we all really are.

The idea of countries, borders, and customs is sometimes difficult for youngsters to grasp. Carole breaks things down into various topics that even the youngest child can identify with – what their name might be, where the country is located, what they would call their parents, what kind of food would they eat, what one thing identifies the country, like a landmark. Children finish each book able to identify both similarities and differences, and with the added of having multiple books, can compare how life is all over the world.

The series includes books about the following countries:

  • Australia
  • Brazil
  • China
  • Cuba
  • Egypt
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • India
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Kenya
  • Mexico
  • Norway
  • Peru
  • Portugal
  • Poland
  • Russia
  • Scotland
  • South Korea
  • Turkey

My Review

I chose to read these books after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

I read If You Were Me and Lived in Kenya and If You Were Me and Lived in India. Both books give examples of what your name might be if you lived there. They also describe the type of food you might eat. Each book has a map and a globe at the beginning to show exactly where the country is. They also have a list of the pronunciation of some words at the end.

If You Were Me and Lived in Kenya teaches that the capital is Nairobi. Visitors might go to Maasai Mara National Reserve to observe wildlife. It even has a lodge right on the reserve! Their favorite pastime is cricket and instead of playing with electronics they play with handmade toys.

If You Were Me and Lived in India teaches that the capital is New Delhi. It was built over the site of seven ancient cities. There are over 100 languages and many cultures in India so they have a wide variety of traditions and foods. Their favorite pastime is also cricket.

It would be great to have a whole set of these books for children to read over and over. They are easy to read and have cute and colorful illustrations sure to keep the attention of a child.

PURCHASE THE “IF YOU WERE ME AND LIVED IN…” BOOKS ON AMAZON HERE

ABOUT CAROLE P. ROMAN

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of the Captain No Beard series. Both Captain No Beard-An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life and Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis have received the Kirkus Star of Exceptional Merit. The first book in the series was named to Kirkus Reviews Best 2012. Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis has been named to Kirkus Reviews Best of 2015. Each book in the series has won numerous awards including the NABE Pinnacle Award, IAN Award, Moonbeam Award 2014, National Indie Excellence Award Finalist, Shelf Media Outstanding Series Award, ForeWord Review Five Star and Finalist in the Book of the Year, and Reader’s Views Children’s Book of the Year 2013.

Carole P. Roman is also the author of the award-winning non-fiction culture series, “If You Were Me and Lived in…”, that explores customs and cultures around the world. She has co-authored a self-help book, Navigating Indieworld A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing. She lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children and grandchildren. Carole invites readers to connect with her via her website.