Some Educational Picture Books Worthy of a Second Look

Trade Winds is an educational series from Eerdman's Books for Young Readers. The five titles in the collection are presented in picture book format and feature young characters in stories set during key periods in the history of global economics and culture.
Whew, that's a mouthful. 
As much as I advocate for using picture books across all ages, some intentionally instructive titles/series should be evaluated as academic tools rather than as picture books. 

That is NOT the case for the five titles in this set. Each could stand proudly on its own (and can be purchased separately). Each is a story featuring a young character whose narrative arc unfolds within a specific historic time and place. Each contains back page supplements, including a kid-friendly glossary and timeline, map anchors, and a few clarifying comments about the concepts presented, all of which are highly accessible to young readers. And each  is enhanced by elaborate illustrations that provide additional insights about the central concepts and cultures.

I was intrigued by the subject matter- economics and culture with a world view. For kids growing up in a digital/swipe economy, one in which national and global policies are too often steered by massive corporate and individual fortunes, these are topics that deserve significant attention. I wondered if these would be books best used in the context of direct instruction and for older students, but my initial caution dissolved when I saw that the talented, prolific, and beloved author, JOY COWLEY, was the editor of all five books. I was confident that the stories would have both fluency and appeal. 
And I was right.

Three of the five titles will be reviewed here, with the remaining two titles considered in the next post. Each of the five can be read in any order and grouped/compared in various ways, but I chose to include in this post the three titles with non-European settings, stories that take place BCE (before the common era, or what we used to call BC). 

The earliest era portrayed is in THE WARLI PEOPLE, written by Hye-eun Shin and illustrated by Su-bi Jeong. It is the least story-based, in text. Instead, each double-page spread tells its story with a simple sentence, while the densely populated illustrations simulate the story/style of art and artifacts of the Warli People (from about ten centuries BCE). 
The core concept of this book is structured to reveal the many activities during the course of a year in an agricultural society in what is today coastal India. 
The Warli People had prospered into a complex agricultural civilization, one with an established and extended community structure: food production, recreation, specialized roles, social practices, and ceremonies. Most importantly, their secure economy allowed them to create a pictographic language using line art and geometric forms that are easily translated to imagine elaborate stories, rendering narrative text almost unnecessary. This book lays the groundwork for considering the cultural and economic concepts in subsequent titles. 
I can imagine readers of many ages poring over the elaborate visual narratives and telling/writing detailed stories of the events and characters pictured. Back content includes information revealing several Middle East civilizations that were comparably advanced during that era. 

The next story moves readers forward several centuries and many miles further north, depicting the SILK ROAD from eastern Asia (near modern Bejing) and extending across the desert and mountains to the Mediterranean Sea. 
FATHER'S ROAD, written by Ji-Yung Jang and illustrated by Tan Jun, follows a young boy on his first journey with his tradesman father. Wong Chung is old enough to begin his apprenticeship, learning the oddities, routines, and dangers of a camel caravan. His first person point of view and voice (directed to an imagined audience or perhaps a diary) draws readers into every aspect of what could otherwise be an alien experience. 
In the course of the book, Wong Chung enjoys spectacular views, surprising resources, and absorbs important lessons. He encounters bandits, a fierce sandstorm, and a chance to extend a helping hand. At the journey's end, the boy realizes that their destination, trading centers, are cosmopolitan intersections of people with varied languages, cultures, goods, and experiences from far-flung places, many he can't even imagine. 
For the youngest readers, this is a vibrant story that presents an adventure across global cultures and a vast time period. For older readers the story will intrigue, but the back matter provides a wealth of accessible content to expand understanding of the roots and relationships of global trade. 

In the previous books, exchanges involve bartering. At some point in our global economic history, "money" must come into play. LION, KING, and COIN, written by Jeong-hee Nam and illustrated by Lucia Sforza, shares, in story form, the origins of the first coins used in trade. In the sixth century BCE, in ancient Lydia (in present-day Turkey) Sardis was a large and prosperous village. The Pactolus River was also known as the Gold River because  
gold could be panned from it's sandy bottom. 
The young narrator, Laos, is the son and grandson of goldsmiths. Both smiths were renowned for their gold jewelry and other items. The boy describes the problems encountered on market day when a trader wished to purchase something, even something like a piece of fruit, but only had a large item, like an ox, to trade. 
In order to  improve transactions and to assure fair value during the trades, the king ordered that coins be minted. Each was stamped on the front with a lion emblem, a symbol of the king's authority. The back of the coins carried a special smith's mark, to prevent counterfeit coins. Various values were assigned based on the weight of gold in the coins. 

This charming narrative from the perspective of young Laos incorporates a story of King Midas to reflect a culture with oral traditions. The historic information is based on current archeological information about the first civilizations found to use minted coins. 
Once again, the back matter places this period in perspective with earlier and later periods, presents this village location in relation to the Silk Road, and explores precursors to traditional metal coins.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post about the two titles set in Europe in the modern era. Meanwhile, check out these titles and share links with educators and curious kids. There are far too few stories incorporating global history and economic basics. These books are very engaging and informative, making them a welcome addition to that limited pool of resources.


The five titles were originally written and published by Yeowon Media, Ltd. before being translated and published for an American audience by Eerdmans BYR. Copies of each book were provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.