Children's Book Review: If You Were Me and Lived in…Russia by Carole P Roman

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from the author,via Bostick Communications, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

Since we were talking about the Russian Tsarist family earlier on History Corner,

 I thought it appropriate to review Carole's new book today as well!

Synopsis:

Exploring the world has never easier—or more fun!—than with Carole P. Roman’s award-winning If You Were Me and Lived In… children’s series. 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, If You Were Me and Lived in…Russia is the perfect way to both entertain and educate your children about the great big world that exists outside their windows. From Russia’s festive New Year’s celebrations to popular Russian names, this charming addition to the If You Were Me and Lived in… family explains everything there is to know about one of the world’s most historic destinations. Carole collaborated on this installment in the series with her five-year-old grandson, Alexander. 

Review:

Once again, Carole strikes another winner! Miss Grace was eager to read this book (and wave the Russian flag that Carole sent with it), as she remembered the opening ceremony and side looks from the recent Olympic coverage, and her cousin had been married to a Russian girl, so she remembered a few things from their house. Miss Grace got very eager to go through the book once she realized that we actually  had Russian items in the house! 

For example, I have a shapka ushanka (fur hat with flaps) that she enjoys playing with, so she was happy to learn the correct word for it, and how it is actually a very common item in Russia!

And my mother has a set of Matryoshka dolls, that she has adored playing with all her life! She thought the term was funny before, and prefers to just call them kuklas (dolls)! 

I loved how Carole presented the Russian version of Father Christmas and talked about the different iconic places in Russia, without any of the political/religious info. Making it simple for younger kids allowed them to eagerly learn more! As always, there is an excellent pronunciation guide in the back as well!

Miss Grace can't wait to share this new book with her class when she goes back to school! If you are homeschooling, this is another book you will want to pick up to enrich your history/social studies/geography lessons! And if you're looking to make a donation to your children's school library, consider picking up this entire If You Were Me and Lived in... collection and donating it- it would be a gift that would help both teachers and student's alike! Kudos to Carole for another winner!

About the author: 

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of the If You Were Me and Lived in… series, which won the Pinnacle Award for Best in Children’s Nonfiction in 2012.  Roman also writes the Captain No Beard series, the first of which was named a Kirkus Best of 2012, received a Star of Remarkable Merit, and won the Pinnacle Award in 2012.Roman loves to learn about many places, but there's no place like home and family in Long Island, N.Y. Check out her website for more.