If the World Were a Village

What could we learn if the entire world were condensed into a village of just 100 people for one day? Based on David J. Smith's award-winning children's book If the World Were a Village, this charming, thought-provoking, fully-animated program presents an enchanting, colorful “world village” featuring people in traditional dress and abodes. Seeing a global population of six billion shrunk down to 100 offers quite a bit of perspective on humankind: for example, 61 people will be from the continent of Asia, 13 from Africa, 12 from Europe, eight from Central and South America, five from North America, and one from Oceania. Many other demographic groupings are also explored, including languages spoken, age distribution, religions practiced, educational levels, economic situations, etc. Some statistics are disturbing: out of the 100, the overwhelming majority (76) are hungry, while 26 are severely malnourished. However, these facts—especially those underscoring a marked difference between the privileged few and the legions of poor—are presented without judgment or pathos, allowing children to draw their own conclusions. If the World Were a Village is a valuable program that promotes critical thinking about global issues, while also serving up an overall positive message: we are, after all, a very big village, so it would benefit us to think of other countries and cultures as next-door neighbors with whom we should live in peace. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: K, E, I, P. (E. Gieschen)