A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 2

Picture Book: If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World’s People (2nd edition)
Author: David J. Smith
Illustrator: Shelagh Armstrong
Summary: The author imagines the world’s population as a village of 100 people, representing population characteristics & statistics in a manner that is striking and understandable. General subjects are listed in a Table of Contents to allow you to have easy access to just those statistics you want to cover. They include nationalities, ages, schooling and literacy, and electricity. For instance, if the world is a village of 100 people, 9 people would speak English, 75 people would have easy access to safe water, and 32 people would be Christians. These details are from my copy of the first edition, but you get the gist even though the numbers would be updated in the 2nd edition.
Hanna’s Comments: Teaching recommendations and activities are included. The 2nd version of this book is recommended since it has up-dated statistics. Don't feel compelled to read all of the statistics if they would be too many or not understandable to your audience. I like to use Post-it Notes on sections of a book to remind me to skip particular parts or ask particular questions. Note: The video version is of the 1st edition. I use this video in lesson 45 of my curriculum for children based on the popular book Manna and Mercy: A Brief History of God's Unfolding Promise to Mend the Entire Universe by Daniel Erlander. See also: If America Were a Village: A Book about the People of the United States.
Publisher & Date of Publication: Kids Can Press, 2011 (2nd edition)
Age and Grade Appropriateness: 7 and up, 2nd and up
# of Pages: 32
Available in Spanish? yes and many other languages
Formats other than Book: dvd
PBT Category: Non-fiction
PBT Topics this Book connects with: abundance/bounty, body of Christ, bonds/connections/connectedness, community, consumerism/consumption/riches, dependence/ interdependence, differences, diversity, earth/world, equality/inequality, exclusion/inclusion, greed/selfishness, home, humanity, injustice, insecurity, jubilee, neighbors, neighborhood, parables/stories, possessions, poverty, religious differences, sharing, social justice, survival, variety
Scripture Connections: Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:10), Paul’s charge to change communion practices in the Early Christian Church (1 Corinthians 11:17-34), any verses about generosity or sensitivity to the poor or those who are different
Idea(s) for Application: Use this book at a Youth Hunger Banquet. The video version might be your best choice. It is excellent!