It has been a while since I reviewed any of the "If You Were Me and Lived In..." series of books by Carole P. Roman. I have been privileged to have almost the entire collection from around the world. This conglomerate of a review is for four more books in the series: Russia, Hungary, Norway, and Scotland.
As with all of her books from this series, she follows a general format which includes city capital, name for parents, names for children, money used, foods eaten, places to visit, school name, holidays, and glossary of terms in the back.
Check out below the summary for each and what I have to say about each of these award-winning books. Each of these books are 5-star books to me.
Disclosure: I received these books in exchange for my open and honest opinion. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network
Summary:
Join in on a trip to the Northern Hemisphere and learn about Norway- The Land of the Midnight Sun. If You Were Me and Lived in... Norway describes many things that make that country unique and fun. Readers will be able to learn about the capital, common names, a beloved holiday, as well as favorite food and other fun facts.
My review:
I am off to Norway, well, at least by book. May 17th is Norway's Independence Day and what better time to read about this country Parties and parades are part of the celebration.
This time I find out that there is an ice hotel that is very popular and may be somewhere people like to stay for the celebration, plus you can see the Northern Lights.
Of course, I learned the terms for Mom and Dad, where to go to school, and a favorite sport, which is skiing.
Summary:
Carole P. Roman is taking students to Northern Europe again and this time it's to visit Scotland. You'll learn about the fascinating architecture that was inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. Whether your name is Ian, Connor, or Malcolm, you'll follow along and visit Loch Ness and hope to get a sighting of it
My review:
This time, I am taking off to Scotland and try to find the infamous, Loch Ness Monster. Seriously, who would not want to see him/her! She is after all famous.
One of the places that is mentioned in the book is in Edinburgh which is home to a most famous university that many people have attended to learn medicine, law, science, and engineering.
I found out that a mythological creature, the unicorn, is the official animal of Scotland and has been printed on currency. It was fun to find out the unicorn means: grace, happiness, purity, and healing. It makes you wonder where all legends come from.
One of the things to play is golf as it is a popular sport, but the Highland Games is what is most popular.
Of course, as with the other books in this series, I learned names of children, what they call their parents, kinds of foods, and what they name their school.
Summary:
Welcome to Hungary! Join Carole P. Roman and learn about this beautiful country in Central Europe. Packed with colorful illustrations, children will learn about the sights, currency, food, and even a few Hungarian words.
My review:
As readers travel the countries by book, we now take a stop to Hungary. This country is landlocked by other countries and has no ocean front waters. The reader finds out that its capital is the largest city but also one of the largest in the overall European countries. We also find out this city is cut into 3 areas by a most famous river. Also, Hungary is known for its numerous caves and stalagmites. Of course, you will have to read the book to find those places out.
In this book, like others, the author mentions foods to eat and the best place to eat is at Nagy's. No, it isn't a restaurant. Bring it on, I say!
Also like the other books, you find favorite sports and holidays.
An interesting thing about Hungary is the Rubiks Cube was created there. Awesome, I had no idea.
After reading this book, maybe I need to get a ticket and go visit. I would love to visit those caves!
Summary:
Continuing its globetrotting tradition, If You Were Me and Lived in... Russia explores the magic and wonder of this captivating country. As children ages three to eight take a leisurely stroll around Russia, they will come across some of the country's most recognizable sites, including the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral, and the Red Square. Learn about Russia's yummy delicacies, like borscht and caviar, before playing popular Russian games like chess and "fipe"--a game children may know better as "tag"! Brimming with these and other fascinating facts.
My review:
This last stop finds the reader in Russia. When I was growing up, Russia was not a place that any USA kid would want to go to. Oh, how times have changed and this book shows us the beauty of Russia.
This was an interesting change for the author as she explored this book and its contents with one of her grandsons on a lazy afternoon. Fun!
One of the places mentioned in the book is Moscow. I have known about that city, but it was interesting to learn that it is the most populated city in Europe and number five as the biggest. It was fascinating to learn that Russia is so big that it has 9 time zones. Whoa!
As someone who finds languages interesting, learning words that you would say in the language was awesome. I know not the Russian language, so, trying out the words was fun and having that glossary in the back makes it easier.
As with all the books, sports and games is mentioned, as was holidays. I found out I had owned a set of Matryoshkas when I was a kid. Read the book to find out what that is.
Overall, I liked this book, and it is just one of the many places that would be great to see. Heck, I would probably take the book with me just to compare it to the actual place!
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