Heading to Israel Today - Carole P. Roman as Tour Guide!

Having just read another children's book by Israeli author, Efrat Shoham, I was happy to have just received If You Were Me and Lived in...Israel... Many of us here in America have long dreamed of traveling to Jerusalem...For me, this is a wonderful opportunity to have a taste of that journey...

Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baha'i
faiths consider Israel as a Holy Land.
~~~

You might live in Jerusalem. It is one of the oldest cities in the world with a long and interesting history.

In 1538 AD, Suleiman the Magnificent, a Turkish king, built a wall around the old city. It is divided into four neighborhoods known as the Christian, Armenian, Muslim, and Jewish quarters. Each group has ancient and important buildings in their section that brings millions of tourists to the city every year to learn and celebrate their religions.

                                    ~~~

If You Were Me and Lived in Israel:

A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World

By Carole P. Roman

Illustrated by Kelsea Wierenga

Your name might be Noah, Yonaton, or Yosef if you are a boy. Your parents might have chosen Talia, Maya, or Shira if you are a girl...

When you call for Mommy, you would say Ima. Your daddy would respond to Abba...

When you have visitors they take a trip to the Dead Sea. It is the lowest spot in earth that can be reached by a car or bus. It is 1371 feet below sea level. It is also called the Salt Sea. People call it the Dead Sea because you won't find a fish or another living thing in it. The water is too salty, and nothing can survive. It is a well known spa, and many people travel there to soak in the water to make them feel better.

Children enjoy watching and playing what they call football (what we call soccer), track and field...Many will work hard to get into the Maccabiah Games which is an international contest that is held every four years in Israel to find the best athletes...

They also enjoy practicing Krav Maga, having taken lessons to learn these special self-defense martial arts--often the younger sisters will watch their brother, buba, and imitate the moves...

I would be excited to be able to visit the celebration of Purim which arrives during the spring. It is a day to remember the ancient Queen Esther who  saved her people from an evil king. Children dress up in costumes to celebrate this holiday. The Book of Esther (The Megillat) is read. Then a dinner is available. Charity for the poor and special baskets of candy and treats are given to friends and relatives. There is a parade as well.  A special noisemaker is available for everyone...and when the evil king's name is mentioned, everybody makes noise so the name can't be heard!

I learned something I'd wondered about for years...that is, why do those from Israel read and write from the right side of the paper. I learned that in ancient times people used stone tablets instead of paper to write things down. They had to carve the surface of the stone using a hammer and chisel. The writer had to hold the hammer in his stronger hand, which was usually his right one so that he could make an impression on the rock. It was easier to go from the right to the left... I wasn't surprised when the first word that came to my mind when I read this... it was based on Tradition... and instantly one of my favorite songs from Fiddler on the Roof came to mind...

Well, these trips are all too short, but there is still more available in the book...for instance, readers will learn some of the language and some of the foods available.  While the books are all in the same format, I thought the artwork in this one was especially beautiful...Kudos to Kelsea Wierenga...

A Continually Outstanding Series...Start at the beginning...or with this one! Highly recommended...

GABixlerReviews

My "Second" Trip to Brazil is Provided by Carole P. Roman as part of her Child's Introduction to Culture!

Hurray! This is the first country toured by Carole P. Roman where I actually have been! And I still learned more from her book than my having been there! LOL You see, I was on a tour with many people and the entire trip was planned from beginning to end... But I did want to spotlight one of the most amazing sights for me...You can see the Christ Statue from many places around the country, but when you travel up the hill to where the status is located, and then walk on up to "look up" at its majesty...there is no way not to recognize God's gift in giving us His Son...

Come now, and travel with your children, to see what it'd be like there in the country, way down below the Equator...

If You Were Me and Lived in...

Brazil

A Child's Introduction to Culture

  Around the World

By Carole P. Roman

Illustrated by Kelsea Wierenga

If you were me and lived in Brazil, your home would be known as the Federative Republic of Brazil, which is the largest country in South America.

It is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world. The people speak Portuguese there because the explorer, Pedro Alvares Cabral, declared it as a part of Portugal in the 1500s. 

Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world...

But let's meet some of the children who live there first!

If you were a boy, your parents might have chosen Lucas, Paulo, or Bruno as your name...

Our trip includes a boat trip to the Amazon River through the Amazon Rain Forest... You'll be learning about the birds and other animals who lived there and how important it is to keep the Forest in good condition!

When I travel I love to taste native foods...Here's one I thought sounded delicious. It is pao de queijo, which is a crispy ball of baked bread and cheese! And how about a sweet ending to your meal with a Brigadeiros, which is a combination of condensed milk, butter, sugar, and cocoa powder--with sprinkles!

Do you remember playing jacks? Well, the children in Brazil use pebbles... Cool, right? Instead of a ball, one of the pebbles is thrown in the air. Boy, I bet you have to be much faster to play with pebbles, don't you?

And if you're going to be in Brazil, hopefully you get to go to the Carnival of Brazil!

And still there is more to learn about children's activities and

happenings in Brazil...Makes me wish I could go back and just travel around to various places, including the Carnival Parade at least! Right?

This series will never grow old! It is taking us around the world to places where most of us never have the opportunity to go. It was great visiting the largest Portuguese-speaking Country in the world!

GABixlerReviews

Traveling to Egypt With, Of Course, Carole P. Roman as Tour Guide...Calling all Children!

Egypt is one of the oldest nations on

 earth with a history that stretches

 back ten thousand years. It is often

 called the cradle of civilization 

because of the development of cities,

 writing, farming, and a vast 

government that ruled the area.

~~~

 If you were me and lived in Egypt, your home would officially be called the Republic of Egypt. You would refer to your homeland as Masr. It is a transcontinental country, which means it is located in both Africa and Asia.

If You Were Me and Lived in...
                                                                  Egypt
A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World

By Carole P. Roman

Illustrated by Kelsea Wierenga

Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if, as children, we could meet and become friends with all the children living in different worlds...Perhaps, then, we would never have wars since we all knew and loved each other. No, it is not possible, but Carole Roman has surely presented an excellent way for us to share and teach children about those who live in other countries... She wants us to be prepared, so that if we were to meet somebody from, say, Egypt, we would know something about their country and make a connection with them. I really enjoy each brief introduction to new countries, don't you?! 

First, we learn that children of Egypt might live in the capital, which was built on the Nile River.

It is the largest city in the Middle-East and the second largest in Africa. It is also known as Umm-al-Dunya, which means the motheroftheworld. Cairo is famous for having the second-oldest university in the world.

And so it is the children we hope to meet from Egypt... Boys may be called Mostafa, Youseff, or Aly...  While little girls might be called Deena, Salma or Fatma...

I was especially interested in the fact that they use images of their ancient places for their Egyptian money...  And I learned about money because our new friends stopped to buy halawa, a dessert!

One of my favorite parts of this series is learning about what we should visit when traveling to Egypt, in this case. I must admit that I had to use this picture...

Can you image living in Cairo, Giza or other cities in Egypt and looking out to see the Pyramids!?! Somehow I had always imagined they were built far away in the desert...it is wonderful to think about walking somewhere in a city and gazing across the sky to see the magnificent image of the Pyramids... and I even learned something new--that the pyramids are aligned with the stars! Cool! Then there is the Great Sphinx, which I would most like to see, given that it has the head of a pharoah and the body of a lion... There's even a mystery about the pharoah's head not ever solved!

They are large triangular-shaped buildings built thousands of years ago. They are constructed with clay bricks and are enormous. They are one of the great wonders of the world because of their precise measurements and placements in regard to the stars...

While...the Great Sphinx of Giza, which is a giant statue of the pharaoh's head on a lion's body. It is the most famous sphinx in the world...

The book also mentions riding down the Nile and learning about the history from Baba...I do want to take this time to mention the extremely beautiful artwork done for this book. The picture, which I believe includes Cleopatra and other royalty is magnificent in details and worthy of a permanent place in your child's library! Of course, all of the illustrations in this series have been fantastic, but I think this one picture is the best I've seen... By the way, while you're riding on the felucca, sailboat, you might have a chance for a meal. Everything sounded great. And I'd love to taste either the Kushari or Kofta...

Then comes the fun as you find out what the children get involved with in sports and other events! Including the celebration of the beginning of spring which includes a large outdoor celebration with egg coloring as a primary activity...it sounded much like our country fairs where food, fun and friends join together...

Egypt is a country I would love to have the opportunity to explore, so this was one of my favorite of Roman's books. And I've learned that she's expanding in a different type of historical book for us to enjoy...They should be on their way to me soon. 

Do make a special effort to check this book out. In fact, if you haven't already been enjoying this series, this is a perfect one to read as your first one. I can almost guarantee that you'll want to continue reading them...even if you don't have children, because there is always some child you can give it too... Seriously, all the books are age-appropriate and include everything that a child would want to know about a country that they were going to visit. Somehow emphasizing the child's point of view makes the stories more intriguing and unique. Children are bound to both enjoy and learn from this latest addition...Loved it!

GABixlerReviews

Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012 for her first book, award winning author Carole P. Roman started writing as a dare from one of her sons. Using an imaginary game she played with her grandson as a base, Captain No Beard was born."Captain No Beard- An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life" has not only been named to Kirkus Best of 2012, it received the Star of Exceptional Merit, and won the Pinnacle Award for 2012. "Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience" Book 2 in the series, received 5 Stars from The ForeWord Review The Clarion Review. Strangers on the High Seas has won second place in the Rebecca's Reads Choice Awards 2013. It has followed with six more books to the series. This year, Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis was named to Kirkus Best 2015. The entire cultural non-fiction series If You Were Me and Lived in... was named Best Series by Shelf Unbound. She has begun work on two new series that will be released in early 2016.
Motivated by her love of yoga, Roman has written a book that not only teaches four poses, but shows how easy and accessible yoga can be. 
Her new non fiction series, "If You Were Me and Lived in..." combines her teaching past with her love of exploration and interest in the world around us. The debut book in the series, "If You Were Me and Lived in...Mexico" has won the Pinnacle Award for Best in Children's Non Fiction 2012. France, South Korea, and Norway. Rebecca's Reads has given If You Were Me and Lived in...Norway an honorable mention in the 2013 Choice Awards. If You Were Me and lived in ...France won second place. ForeWord Review has nominated If You Were Me and Lived in...France for best in children's non fiction literature 2013. They will be followed with Kenya, Turkey, India, and Australia. She plans to do Portugal, Greece, and Argentina next year.
Writing for children has opened up a whole second act for her. While she is still working in her family business, this has enabled her to share her sense of humor as well as love for history and culture with the audience she adores. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children.

Heading to Hungary with Carole P. Roman's - A Child's Introduction to Culture

The Crown, Sword and Globus Cruciger of Hungary 

If you were me and lived in Hungary, you would find yourself landlocked in Central Europe. That means your country if surrounded on all four borders by other countries and no ocean.

~~~

You might live in the capital, Budapest. Budapest is Hungary's largest city and

one of the biggest cities in the European Union...

Everybody loves to take a picture in front of the Hungarian Parliament building. That is where all the laws are made in Hungary.

If You Were Me and Lived in...

                                                             Hungary

A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World

By Carole P. Roman

Hey, everybody, check out the cruise boat in the above picture, do you know what famous river divides the capital city? Let's see if this helps! Well, for me, this cruise is one of the first things I'd want to take, wouldn't you? What better way to see the whole city than to glide in the beautiful Danube?!

Buda and Obuda sit on the west bank, and Pest is on the east bank. That means the one city is divided by the Danube River. The Hungarians call is the Duna River...

Let's meet some of the children before we go any further...Boys are often called Attila, Laszlo, or Peter...

If you are a girl, your name may be Erzse'bet, Suzanna, or Judit:

 

And don't forget to change your money to that used in Hungary--maybe even to buy a baba to bring home as a souvenir or gift

Sightseeing could include going to see the Balaton, the largest lake in central Europe, but with the Danube nearby,

I wanted to go see Caves of Aggtelek!

First is the Dripstone Cave and then the Concert Hall. Both with lights and synchronated music. The third is the Baradia which is the largest and most magnificent. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be right there in the Caves?!

 Ok all that walking has made us all hungry!  And we've been invited to Nagy's house! That's the word for grandma and she is part of our host family who invited us to come to Hungary. Here's the wonderful meal she served!

A cherry soup

Goulash, with meat and vegetables--paprika
gives the food a special reddish color...

And a delicious-looking dobos torta which is a sponge cake topped with delicious caramel...









Although there is more to read about in the book, including about this! Do you know what it is??! 

I'm going to close with a bit of history...     

Saint Stephen is a very important hero in Hungary. He was the first King of Hungary and they have a holiday called Saint Istvhan's Day to celebrate his great accomplishments. King Stephen is famous for uniting the people and defeating all the foreign invaders. He was made King on January 1, 1001...

Provided in both Hungarian and English

Children will in this volume of Carole P. Roman's series on culture around the world... Each book begins with an introduction of the country within the world, geographically, and then proceeds to introduce children to parts of the country, such as the capital, to its children and what things they might do or where they might go for sightseeing. Often, for many of us, it will be the first and maybe even the only introduction they will have to a country. What's so important is that by creating them for the children, they will have a chance to marvel at the wide world in which we live and begin to realize there is so much more than the area in which they might now live. A truly superb children's series that is highly recommended for children and adults alike!

GABixlerReviews

Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012 for her first book, award winning author Carole P. Roman started writing as a dare from one of her sons. Using an imaginary game she played with her grandson as a base, Captain No Beard was born. It has followed with four more books to the series.
Motivated by her love of yoga, Roman has written a book that not only teaches four poses, but shows how easy and accessible yoga can be.
She has just finished the first of six books in a groundbreaking new nonfiction series about culture around the world. "If You Were Me and Lived in..." combines her teaching past with her love of exploration and interest in the world around us.

Writing for children has opened up a whole second act for her. While she is still working in her family business, this has enabled her to share her sense of humor as well as love for history and culture with the audience she adores. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children.