Pistes d'exploration

Discuss the title before and after reading the book. Why is it important to talk about children’s rights? Name some of the rights that are meaningful to you.

Read the spread, “You have the right to live with your parents …” Do you relate more to Lucas or Mamadou? Write about your family. Why are families important?

The foreword states, “one by one, each child can make a difference.” What action can you, your family, your school or your community take to help children around the world?

What are some of the rights that Canadian children may take for granted? Create an I am thankful for … gratitude leaflet based on one of the rights in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Compare three books on children’s rights. How are the structures and features similar and different? Do they address the same audience? 

Choose a few topics from the book and discuss how children’s rights are protected in your community. 

Explore newspaper articles about children around the world. Discuss which rights need to be addressed. 

Look at different children’s books such as Goal, The Other Side, A Good Trade or One Green Apple. In pairs, discuss and identify the rights that apply in each of these situations.

Discuss children’s rights in light of your own situation. How would your life be different if you did not have access to one of them? Write a paragraph about how that life would be.

Choose a few topics from the book and discuss how children’s rights are protected in your community.

List (five) surprising facts and find a creative way to display them on the school walls.

Create a class magazine based on the table of contents. Write about children in Québec.

I Have the Right to Be a Child, We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures, Real Stories From Street Children Across the World

Mots-clés

Non-fiction , around the world , children , children's rights , equality , everyday life , global awareness , human rights

Commentaire descriptif

This book provides young readers with an important global perspective on children—and perhaps a new outlook on their own lives. Fourteen chapters cover themes such as “Are boys and girls treated equally?” and “Children on the move.” While the language is direct and child-friendly, there is plenty of content, suitable for confident readers. Global numbers and statistics are connected to real-life anecdotes. In “Children and work,” nine year-old Gabriel in Guatemala City is profiled: “Recently he found work at a fireworks factory, a dangerous job because of all the chemicals.” Relevant UN Convention Articles are highlighted: “If you work, you have the right to be safe and paid fairly. (Article 32)” A good half of each chapter is devoted to illustrations in warm colours and painterly textures. Both surreal and realistic compositions are used to depict topics: In Hong Kong, houseboats are packed in a harbour of stacked skyscrapers—all teetering on a round, Earth-like form; in Sierra Leone, a boy in ragged shorts curls up on a carpet—a massive gun lies at his side. Back material includes the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in child-friendly language, along with suggested activities.