| an intriguing taste of another culture. |
The series -- 19 titles and growing -- offers a documentary-style "day in the life" glimpse into how people in different countries live from a child's point of view. The latest release, "Families of Australia," will be available on DVD March 6, 2007 for a suggested retail price of $29.95. VHS is also available at $29.95. The entire Families of the World catalog is now available on DVD, while many titles are being broadcast on select PBS stations around the country.
"Families of Australia" introduces two children from differing locales and follows them in their daily activities from waking to bedtime, all the while showing young viewers the amazing similarities between their own lives and those of children the same age living thousands of miles away: similar chores, school and extra-curricular activities and family interactions.
Eight-year-old Phoebe lives in Attunga, a town northwest of Sydney, with her parents, 10-year-old brother Forbes and their dog Jake. Phoebe contributes to the family chores, including feeding the chickens and collecting eggs and herding the sheep. After eating breakfast with her family, the Phoebe and her brother set out for school -- this particular day is Sports Day, a friendly athletic competition with other schools. During her day, she also studies math, enjoys pizza and recess and plays field hockey with her classmates. Phoebe's after school activities include violin and ballet lessons and learning to ride a motorbike to help with the herding. After dinner she reads with her father before heading off to bed.
Joshua is a seven-year-old who lives in Sydney with his mom, dad, five-year-old sister Phoebe and a menagerie of rabbits, fish, chickens and a parrot. Dad works as a journalist in downtown Sydney while Mom, a former journalist, is a stay-at-home mother and novelist. We learn how Joshua's family deals with the long Australian droughts by conserving water in efficiently inventive ways. During Joshua's day at school he studied English and penmanship and plays at recess with his friends. After school he visits his grandparents, practices piano and enjoys a nice bath before reading a story with his mother and going to bed.
School Library Journal applauds Families of the World as "excellent," providing "an intriguing taste of another culture." The series, which has garnered repeated acclaim and awards from Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Parents' Choice and NAPPA (National Parenting Publications of America) as well as endorsements from KIDS FIRST! and recommendations from Dr. Toy's Children's Products, is used in classrooms around the country as a valuable tool for multi-cultural education.
Families of the World is recommended for ages 5-11. The series features families in Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Ghana, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico (includes Spanish and English soundtrack), Puerto Rico, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, the USA, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. To order, call 1-800-765-5885 or visit www.familiesoftheworld.com.
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