On Our Street: Our First Talk About Poverty

by Jillian Roberts, Jaime Casap, Jane Heinrichs (Illustrator)

Overview

The World Around Us series introduces children to complex cultural, social and environmental issues that they may encounter outside their homes, in a way that is accessible. Sidebars offer further reading for older children or care providers who have bigger questions. For younger children just starting to make these observations, the simple question-and-answer format of the main text will provide a foundation of knowledge on the subject matter.

A gentle introduction to the issue of poverty, On Our Street explores the realities of people living with inadequate resources. Using age-appropriate language, this book addresses mental illness, homelessness and refugee status as they are connected to this issue. Insightful quotes from individuals and organizations such as UNICEF are included throughout to add further perspective on the issue. An invaluable section on how kids can help empowers readers to take what they have learned and use it to make a difference.

Child psychologist Dr. Jillian Roberts created this series to guide parents/caregivers through conversations about difficult issues in a reassuring and hopeful manner and help children understand their expanding awareness of the world around them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459816176
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	02/13/2018
Series:	The World Around Us , #1
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,215,457
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.44(d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Dr. Jillian Roberts is a renowned child psychologist, author, professor and parent. She earned her PhD at age twenty-six, became one of the youngest associate professors at the University of Victoria at thirty-two and shortly after became the associate dean of the Faculty of Education. During this time Dr. Roberts built one of Victoria, British Columbia's most successful child-psychology practices.

Considered a go-to child psychology expert for journalists, Dr. Roberts has had her work published in the New York Times and the Toronto Sun, is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and Global News, and has been interviewed by The Tyee and the CBC. Her bestselling Just Enough series of children's books was released in 2016 to international acclaim. In early 2017 Dr. Roberts co-founded FamilySparks to offer families a supportive, resource-rich community to help them navigate our increasingly complicated world.

Jaime Casap is the Chief Educational Evangelist at Google, Inc in Phoenix, Arizona. Jaime is a first-generation American who was raised by a single mother subsisting on welfare in Hell's Kitchen, NY. Having grown up in poverty, he truly believes that access to education and technology can save lives. Working with Google and educational organizations around the world, Jaime is passionate about improving the quality of education by using technology to create powerful learning models in all classrooms, from kindergarten to college and university. Follow Jaime on Twitter @JCasap.

Jane Heinrichs is a children's book writer and illustrator. She starts her day at a clear desk with her huge sketchbook (for books) and her tiny sketchbook (for daily drawings) but usually ends up sitting on the floor, surrounded by a collection of paints, pencils and papers. Jane lives in the UK with her family.

Editorial Reviews

"A sensitive and thoughtful approach to a difficult subject, this book offers parents and teachers an opportunity to encourage kids to think more deeply about how we can make our world a better place for everyone. "

Canadian Children's Booknews

"This straightforward, gentle entry in the World around Us series does a good job of explaining those concepts to a young audience in terms they can understand…This is a useful starting point for conversations about an important topic."

Booklist

Offers us a world of understanding and, once again, reveals the delicacy and strength of the written word.

CSP Book Blog

Purposeful, accessible text.

The Horn Book Online

"This timely book is a brief invitation to children to wonder and to ask questions…The layout of On Our Street is inviting: double spreads for each question, with large clear font and generous space allocated to photos and drawings…This book will be a terrific catalyst for parents and teachers to open kids' eyes to the realities of their day-to-day world and to encourage them to share personal experiences…It may never be too soon to begin to learn about these complex issues. And whenever they are ready, On Our Street, part of 'The World Around Us' series, will be a fine first step toward enhancing that understanding. Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

"This is a frank yet sensitive introduction to the issues of homelessness…Colour photographs offer a humanizing and diverse representation of poverty. Realistic watercolour illustrations featuring two girls and a boy throughout the book and provide a sense of continuity."

Quill & Quire

"This is a unique and essential book where hard questions are answered in a clear straightforward way."

Youth Services Book Review

"An important addition to the school or public library collection. Recommended."

School Library Connection

"This straightforward, gentle entry in the World around Us series does a good job of explaining those concepts to a young audience in terms they can understand…This is a useful starting point for conversations about an important topic."

Booklist

01/01/2018
Gr 1–4—The creators use a question-and-answer format to address common beliefs and misconceptions surrounding people who are homeless. Illustrated children ask one another questions, such as "Why would he sleep outside?" and "How can I help children who are homeless or unsafe?," which are then answered in a paragraph format. The text covers each topic at a measured pace and uses a gentle tone. The book emphasizes the belief that "It's okay to ask questions when you do not understand the way another person is living." Watercolor artwork of kids talking and working together appears alongside photographs of adults and children in various stages of homelessness. The photos are key in reinforcing that this social issue effects people of all ethnicities, races, and age groups, including children. The text acknowledges that homeslessness is only one type of poverty—those who can't attend school regularly or visit a doctor are at-risk in a different way. VERDICT Though poverty is a hard-hitting topic, the authors handle it in a sensitive manner. Consider for one-on-one and group discussions.—Jessica Bushore, Xenia, OH

School Library Journal

2017-11-13
In many communities, children will notice people living on the street and start to ask questions.Carefully written for both U.S. and Canadian audiences, with references to organizations operating in both countries, this slim book combines photos with realistic watercolor illustrations of diverse children asking questions about adult and child homelessness, mental health, poverty, child abuse and neglect, access to education and health care, and refugees. In introducing poverty in both countries (with a focus on urban situations) and then expanding the focus to include international poverty, today's refugee situation, the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, the authors (a Canadian child psychologist and Google's "Chief Education Evangelist," who himself grew up in urban poverty in New York City) may have created a book that is too broad in its reach, but astute adults can help navigate the information. The emphasis here is to help children of some privilege gain empathy and understanding about children and adults who lack these services. This is not a book for children who are living in conditions of poverty themselves. Suggestions about helping people through local, national, and international organizations are provided. The information provided about each topic is limited in scope due to the age range, but the writing is clear and accurate.A positive attempt at a difficult subject, this book will probably be most useful in situations where caring adults can help children understand and work through their feelings about the topic. (authors' notes, resources) (Nonfiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews

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