To Be a Kid

To Be a Kid
by Maya Ajmera and John D. Ivanko

Let me start by saying that I truly get goose bumps when I read this book. It is a simple book, with simple words and very powerful accompanying photographs from around the world. The authors capture the common traits of childhood across cultures. The book opens with the line, "To be a kid means being carried by those who love you" and pictures children being carried by parents or big siblings in Senegal, Nepal, Japan and the United States. The photographs show that their are many different ways to carry young children, many different cultural clothes, different human expressions, but a common sense of caring. Each page in this book depicts a similar simple idea- spending time with family, playing ball, going to school, etc. I loved this book, and I think it is a great multi-cultural photo book that touches the heart.