We Share One World

by Jane E. Hoffelt

Book Overview

Whether we awaken to the spray of an ocean wave, the wind blowing from the desert, or snowflakes dusting the trees, we are part of something truly magnificent. Whether we live in China, Algeria,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0970190786
• ISBN13: 9780970190789
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Illumination Arts Publishing Company
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.8" x 11.4"
• Age Range: 2 to 5 years

Customer Reviews

A lovely book which celebrates ALL life on earth

It's no wonder this book was chosen as a finalist for the 2005 Benjamin Franklin Award: Children's Picture Book Category! As this book so aptly illustrates, we share a truly magnificent planet. The book celebrates what people have in common rather than their differences. And it does so beautifully, simply and memorably. The story is told from the viewpoint of a young boy who "views" scenes from other countries, while the text points out that children everywhere share one sun and moon and many other things. From coastlands to heartlands, from China to Iraq to America, people are more similar than they are different, the boy realizes. At the end, all the children, in different, colorful traditional garb, unite - as do all the planet's animals. This lovely, gentle book celebrates all life on earth and exhorts us to live together in peace. The illustrations are vivid and magnificent. And the inclusion of Buckminster Fuller's unusual world map is a wonderful, thought-provoking touch. Readers won't be surprised to discover that a portion of the profits from the book go to The Children's Global Foundation, an organization dedicated to world peace and to helping homeless children. [...]

overcoming culture clashes

Rebeccasreads highly recommends WE SHARE ONE WORLD as a lively way to raise the subject of differences, as well as look at us all as sojourners on the same planet. Since the Great Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, children in America have become widely aware of other people in other parts of the world, & so WE SHARE ONE WORLD becomes even more relevant.

Lovely Learning Tool for Children

Even though we may not know it, we share one world. We share the sun with the children and people of Costa Rica, we share the waves with the children and people of China, and so much more. In Jane E. Hoffelt's book WE SHARE ONE WORLD, children will be lucky enough to visit various countries through one young boy's eyes, and see how the children live in each one. Overall, this is a lovely book, that is filled with education, and should be purchased by everyone who's trying to teach their children about various cultures. A must have book! Erika Sorocco Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

A Timely Plea for Sharing Our World in Peace

The concept of "One World" may sound cliché, but there are some basic precepts that can't be over-stressed, especially when it comes to teaching our kids about living together in peace. How well these lessons are taught may well determine the future of the planet! This book has a smile and a message of hope on every page, as a little boy travels the world in his daydream, visiting children from cultures around the world. A charming poem describes his trip though the geography, flora and fauna of each of the lands he visits. "We touch the wind" among the cranes and kites in Japan, "We smell the rain" in the threatened marshlands of Iraq, and "We taste the snow" with Laplanders in the Russian Arctic. All twelve visited regions hold examples of endangered indigenous people, animals or plants, sure to inspire meaningful discussions about the need for global cooperation and peace. Written and illustrated by two sisters from Ohio, it's a collaboration filled with love and hope for the world's children. The timely plea for peace -- and that we share and protect our world despite our cultural differences -- is one that becomes more important every day.

A delightful book for children!

As we turn the pages of this book, we enter the mind of a thoughtful young boy as he muses over countries in the world that are far away and maybe vastly different from his own. While gazing out over a hilltop, he begins to realize that even though the places may be far away, they must be the same in many ways because we share one world. Even though Tanzania is a long way from where we live, we share the same sun. The children there play under the brilliance of golden sunbeams, just as we do. The wind that blows the kites of children in Japan is the same wind that ruffles wisps of hair on the heads of our children. Russia may be cold and snowy, but snowflakes taste the same to all children. Other languages may sound strange to our ears, but the laughter of children everywhere can often carry a more powerful message than words. As adults, we frequently dwell on the many differences of places like Tanzania, Switzerland, Algeria, Japan, Peru, China, Russia, Costa Rica, Canada, Australia, and even Iraq. It is often ONLY those differences that we think about, but this young boy allows us to see beyond those differences because he sees ONLY the similarities. Isn't that a magnificent concept for a child to discover? Wouldn't it also be incredibly wonderful if everyone felt that same way? If we can teach our children to think FIRST of the similarities that we have with other countries and other people, we can foster the ideal of living in peace. These are the lessons so simply taught in this book. ***** When children see this colorful book, overflowing with pictures of other children at play, their immediate reaction is delight! Then, as they turn the pages, they have no problem understanding how we are all so similar. The words of the poem are uncomplicated and plain spoken, and the beautiful watercolors allow children to absorb even the smallest detail. That is when they can use their imagination to weave their own very personal story. I highly recommend this new offering from Illumination Arts, We Share One World. ***** Reviewed by Ruth Wilson for Huntress Reviews.