Families: Around the World, One Kid at a Time - Hardcover

Uwe Ommer is a photographer whose latest book, 1000 Families, was the subject of a major exhibition. He is an honorary member of the Royal Photographic Society.

Sophie Furlaud is a journalist and an author of books for children.

Pierre Verboud is currently a secondary-school teacher. Previously, he worked as an editor and designer.

Grade 3-5--Like Maya K. Ajmera and Anna Rhesa Versola's Children from Australia to Zimbabwe (Charlesbridge, 1997) and Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley's Children Just Like Me (DK, 1995), this title offers glimpses into youngsters' lives around the world. Each spread in this oversized volume includes a page of text consisting of a lengthy quote from and a photo of the featured child, quick facts on the country, a simple but colorful map, and at least one other attractive visual. The opposite page has a striking full-page photo of the youngster with his/her family. These photos are the strength of the book; many of the families are posed outdoors, often with a white sheet behind them used as an informal framing device. In some, the dress, family units, and background scenes offer more information than the unlikely text quotes that may be meaningless to readers. For example, 7-year-old Vadim from the Ukraine comments on "Turgenev, my favorite writer," and 8-year-old Cosmin from Romania states, "In 1991, you know, my country finally emerged from thirty years of Nicolae Ceausescu's dictatorship." In addition, while the reality of displacement is reflected in the stories of children from Afghanistan, Tibet, and Haiti, some readers may not understand why these children do not live in the country they represent. Ommer's photos are stunning, but other similar titles offer more useful information.--Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal
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