• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7
• Reading age: 8 to 12

America, with all its diversity, is not easily defined. David J. Smith's If America Were a Village takes a snapshot - past, present and future - to help define America for children. Using the same successful metaphor of the international bestseller If the World Were a Village, the book shrinks down America to a village of 100. The metaphor helps children easily understand American ethnic origins, religions, family profiles, occupations, wealth, belongings and more. Shelagh Armstrong's expansive illustrations imagine America as a classic, vibrant small town. Who are the people living in this vast and varied nation? Where did they come from? What are they like today? How do they compare with people in other countries? The book's simple statistical analysis provides a new way of learning about where people live in America, the state of their health, the shapes and sizes of families, what they use and more - forming a concise picture of a country.

If America Were a Village is part of CitizenKid: A collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.

David J. Smith is a teacher and educational consultant with over 25 years of experience in the classroom and is the creator of the award-winning curriculum "Mapping the World by Heart."

David J. Smith's profile page

Shelagh Armstrong is a freelance commercial artist who has designed adult book covers, stamps and commemorative coins .If the World Were a Village was her first children's book. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Shelagh Armstrong's profile page

• Winner, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, NCSS-CBC

The premise isn't new, but it's never been used to better effect for deepening the understanding that children have about the 306 million (and counting) other people with whom they share this land.—Kirkus Reviews

... ideally, it will inspire deeper thought and consideration ...—School Library Journal

A whole new way to think about our country.—Booklist