This is How We Do It

Title: This is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World
Author/Illustrator: Matt Lamothe
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Audience: K - 3
Lexile Measure: 810

Lamothe first introduces us to the children



 and shows where they live on a world map. 



He then chronicles one day depicting what type of home they live in, the foods they eat throughout the day, what they wore to school, how they got there, what school was like, their after school activities,


   

how they help their families, and where and how they sleep. The muted, but realistic illustrations show, in amazing detail, the similarities and differences in the children's lives. The format is larger than many nonfiction picture books and the colorful, uncluttered illustrations make this a great choice for a read-aloud. Lamothe concludes with double-page illustration of a starry sky with a full moon shining, and the simple closing of "This is my night sky," elegantly reinforcing that we all share one world. 

We get to meet the "real families" and learn a little about why they were chosen.

   

Potentially unfamiliar vocabulary is underlined throughout the book and defined in a Glossary. Also included is an Author's Note. Lamothe tells us that the families took photos of their actual homes, meals, bedrooms, etc. which he used as references for creating the illustrations. He also shares why he wrote this book:

     "I believe the more you learn about different people, the more you see yourself in them, and the more accepting you become."

The book is well organized, accurate, and visually appealing. It would appeal to almost any child even nonreaders, who could still learn a lot just from the illustrations. Choosing to examine one day in a child's life limits the content included to a manageable extent while offering a wide range of scenarios for comparing and contrasting. 

I have often used the book, What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio which uses photos from around the world to show what food families eat in one week. 

     

I wasn't sure how the illustrations in Lamothe's book would compare, but I think the illustrations actually allow for more detail to be seen. 



The overall message of the book, that children all over the world need and enjoy the same things, is another reason that this book is a 1st purchase for every public and school library.
Although the audience is listed as K-3, the curriculum connections could be adapted for older students as well. 

By the end of the book, it feels like we have met seven new friends, a perfect lead-in for starting a pen pal exchange. (http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/) Students could also choose countries not represented to create their own books of cultural explorations. A world map could be posted in the classroom with pins labeling all of the cultures studied. You could even hold a multicultural celebration with foods and games from selected countries as a wrap up to these cultural studies.

TeachingBooks has links for the author, book trailer, and teaching guide from Flowering  Minds. (https://floweringminds.wordpress.com/2017/05/19/this-is-how-we-do-it/)

Chronicle Books offers some extensions that you can download. (http://www.chroniclebooks.com/landing-pages/pdfs/this-is-how-we-do-it-activity-kit.pdf) 
Three of the sheets are Venn Diagrams, which highlight the differences and similarities of what each child does or sees throughout the day. This is another wonderful way to point out that everyone has similar needs. A book trailer is included also, (http://www.chroniclebooks.com/titles/this-is-how-we-do-it.html)




The 2016 updated version of Children Just Like Me by DK uses a different format. Single and double page spreads are used for each child. Photos of the child, their family, home, school, etc, and a small map indicating where they live are used to tell each child's story. 



The book includes a Table of Contents, a Glossary and an Index. The endpapers show a map of the world with each child's picture placed where they live. While enjoyable to hop in and out of, the format makes it difficult to spot similarities and differences between the cultures represented.

People by Peter Spier uses a similar approach as This is How We Do It does, but the illustrations are so detailed, with almost too much to focus on, 
that noting similarities and differences is difficult. 


This book does not include a Glossary, Author's Note, or map reference which limits the book's usefulness for educational purposes. Interestingly enough, the final illustration is also of a starry, moonlit sky.  

  One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley

This photographic essay represents one day from dawn to dusk using photos from around the world. Children are shown in various scenarios throughout their day, with general text such as, "Recess rocks. So does lunch," and when the school day is over, "head for home any way they can."




Published by National Geographic, there is an Author's Note and a Photo Index which tells each photo's location, a caption describing the activity pictured, and a Photographer's Note which gives more information about the photo. The final pages are a world map with the location of each photo, description, and page number. A useful book, but the photos look somewhat dated as it was published in 2009. 

Read-Alikes



 The Barefoot Book of Children by Tessa Strickland 

This book starts out like a picture book:

          

but ends with more detailed information, suitable for cultural studies.




A Ticket Around the World by Natalia Diaz

The illustrations are a little cartoony, but show a boy visiting 13 countries while experiencing some of the cultural highlights.


The publisher offers an excellent classroom activity guide, http://www.owlkidsbooks.com/Portals/0/4.ATicketAroundTheWorld_0326.pdf



At The Same Moment Around the World by Clotilde Perrin offers a different perspective. Although it is a fiction title, the illustrations and unique premise offer new ideas for classroom extensions.


I cannot improve on this description from the publisher, "And then the showstopper: a handsome fold out map that unites the whole adventure and reintroduces the children we have met on our journey around the world. What are you waiting for?"