Thank You, World

This is a very special book. I couldn't recommend it more highly. It teaches, in a simple and open way, that children are part of a larger humanity. That humanity looks different depending on which country you're from, but we're all basically quite similar with similar experiences and joys. It has definitely increased my daughter's awareness of the world and where the US fits into it. It has sparked some wonderful conversations, conversations I would never have expected from a 3-year-old. It also demonstrates appreciation for nature - for the trees, birds, stars, coulds, rain, etc. It's such a wholesome, warm book without being the remotest bit preachy. This book is a treasure!

Reviewed by Conner Aguren (age 3) and Mom for Reader Views (1/08) "Thank You, World" illustrates the commonality of eight children in eight different countries, as they each show gratitude for their world around them. "Goats! You like goats, mommy." "I think they are a donkey and a llama." "Oh, I've never saw them before." "Did you like the book?" "Yes, I liked it a lot." "Why?" "Because I like everything." "Did you like the pictures?" "Yeah, they are drawn good." "That boy's me and there's daddy. We're playing and we're hugging everybody." Parent's comments: This is a visually rich and colorful showcase of eight instances of the same experience. It is a good conversation piece on global awareness, differences and sameness in each page. I like "Thank You, World" because it looks to the joy in common childhood situations without weighing it down with any social

This book is a treat for children and adults alike. Alice McGinty's melodic verses match Wendy Halperin's soft drawings to perfection. McGinty features children in 8 different countries for an around-the-world view of the simple things that make a child's world special. I highly recommend this book to teachers and parents. Art teachers will especially find Halperin's technique using crayons interesting.

I stumbled on this book and was enchanted with the title and cover art. I was then delighted with the content of this sweet book. The pictures are wonderful and the message is nice without being sappy or Christian as some "thank you" type books are. A good book to gently teach kids the gift of gratitude and stopping to appreciate life.