Healthy Kids
Maya Ajmera, author
Maya Ajmera is the creator and spokesperson for Children from Australia to Zimbabwe: A Photographic Journey Around the World and co-author of the global education guide, Raising Children to Become Caring Contributors to the World. Maya is the founder and executive director of SHAKTI for Children. In the January 1999 issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Maya was named among "A new guard of non-profit leaders...that will shape the charity world in the next century."
Read more about Maya.
Victoria Dunning, author
Victoria Dunning is the vice president of programs for The Global Fund for Children.
Read more about Victoria.
Cynthia Pon, author
Cynthia Pon is the director of Global Fun for Children Books. She is the co-author of Children of the U.S.A. She lives in Washington, D.C.
Read more about Cynthia.
- NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Kirkus Reviews
Ajmera's To Be a Kid (with co-author and photographer John D. Ivanko, 1999) focused on kids the world over engaged in play; in a similar format, this latest examines what children need in order to stay healthy.
Eye-catching photos are the centerpiece of this book. Each spread lists one thing that healthy kids need--"Healthy kids need clean water to drink"--while the labeled photographs show several children from different countries and how that need is met for them: A child drinks from a water fountain in Japan, and another uses a pump well in India; in Ghana, a girl pours water from a bucket carried atop her head. Healthy kids also need good food, clean bodies and teeth, a place to use the bathroom, a home, medical care and vaccinations, exercise, protection from the elements, safety gear such as seat belts and helmets, and most of all, loving families and communities. A multicolored world map highlights the countries mentioned, and backmatter explains how, in some areas of the world, those needs are difficult to meet and what kids, no matter where they live, can do to make sure they stay healthy. When this is paired with the likes of David J. Smith's This Child, Every Child (illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong, 2011), readers will learn not only what kids need, but just how many kids lack these basic necessities.
An attractive introduction to the topic.
Booklist
Like other titles in the Global Fund for Children book series, this fully illustrated volume features excellent photos of children around the world. The theme of health plays out in a series of wide double-page spreads introducing topics such as food, water, cleanliness, sanitation, safety, medical care, and exercise. On each spread, a line or two of text accompanies several clear color photos of children in different countries. For instance, the sentence, "A safe, clean home protects us from the cold, wind, and rain" is illustrated with intriguing photos of children inside or outside their houses in China, Egypt, and Suriname. The presentation opens with a foreword by Melinda French Gates and closes with a world map and several pages of text explanding on the topics introduced earlier. An attractive introduction to health and global awareness, this book will also serve as a useful resource for global units.
School Library Journal
This book contains full-color photographs of children from around the world practicing healthy habits. The emphasis is on good food, clean water, safe homes, proper medical care, and family/community support. The outstanding photographs are clean and crisp and set against vibrantly hued backgrounds. An introduction by Melinda Gates explains that while all children still do not have access to everything they need, progress is being made. An afterword details all the things needed to be a healthy child and offers suggestions for how youngsters can make a contribution to achieve a better world both in their own community and around the globe. Good for browsing and as a discussion starter.
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-58089-436-4
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-58089-437-1
E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-597-8 PDF
Ages: 4-7
Page count: 32