This book was a favorite of mine when I was little and has since become a favorite of my kids. It is a Dr. Seuss, so there are fun pictures, rhymes, and friendliness. This book has not been reprinted because it is stereotypical of various cultures around the world. Really, I am not sure how you could write a book depicting kids in their traditional cultural setting without being stereotypical. I might not be as sensitive as someone else, but none of the pages seem to be rudely stereotypical, so I don't worry about it. And the message this book is sending is all about friendship transcending borders and customs. Which is a great message.
We start off by thinking about houses in general.
But wherever you go,
you will hear someone say,
"Come over to my house,
"Come over to my house,
Come over and play!"
And then we get into particulars. Young children all over the world tell this little pink shirted boy what is best about their house.
And each child tells the boy to come over and play.
You might not believe this, but I forced myself not to take more pictures. There are a lot of great pictures in this book!
There are just enough words on a page to keep little kids engaged without boring them.
Venice
Come up on my porch
and I'll give you a treat.
Spaghetti!
We'll eat
and we'll eat and we'll eat.
We'll eat twenty miles of it!
We'll eat a ton!
Food at my house,
is such wonderful fun.
Aren't they friendly and snug by the big fire?
I love everyone being so welcoming.
India?
South America
Not sure
Desert
Arctic
Africa
Australia
Little kids think this page is hilarious.
Milking around the world.
Even reindeer milking!
But the ones you'll like best
have a wide-open door.
There is a populist note to this book. Wealthy or poor, friendship is worth having.
I just love this book. All the the kindness and openness. No matter where you go in life, there will be someone who can be your friend.
So I read it to my kids. Over and over and over again.
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