If we can’t globe trot in real life, why not take a trip around the world in the comfort of our own home?! No bags to pack. No jet lag to overcome. These kid-friendly fiction and nonfiction titles introduce kids to the world beyond their borders.

And speaking of reading, request an invite to our 4 week course, The Reading Roadmap, so you can get the proven, ready-to-deploy system for helping EVERY student thrive!

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62-kids-books-from-around-the-world

I’m a big travel nut. I love planning, visiting and remembering trips to far away destinations. And I LOVED teaching a year-long around the world unit to my second graders.

I’ve learned from traveling around the world and discovering new languages, traditions, foods and perspectives.  I hope to expose my boys to similar learning opportunities but I am the first to acknowledge that I’m not ready to take an international flight with two children under the age of three.

These 62 kids’ books from around the world are the perfect alternative!

Introducing Our Trip



A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around the World
Toot & Puddle
A Giraffe Goes to Paris
Me on the Map
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World 
Where Do I Live?
Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Children Around the World
Houses and Homes (Around the World Series)
Everybody Cooks Rice
Whoever You Are
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World
Hello World! Greetings in 42 Languages Around the Globe
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

Books About Africa

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale
National Geographic Kids Everything Ancient Egypt
Beatrice’s Goat
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti
Look What Came From Africa
A Is for AfricaWangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa
For You Are a Kenyan Child

Books About Antarctica



Penguins and Antarctica (Magic Tree House Research Guide)
Antarctica (Usborne Beginners)
Life Under Ice
Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Books About Asia


Rechenka’s Eggs
Tikki Tikki Tembo
How Tiger Got His Stripes: A Folktale from Vietnam
The Empty Pot
Russia ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Russia
The Littlest Matryoshka
Mama’s Saris
The Story of Little Babaji
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China
T is for Taj Mahal: An India Alphabet

Books About Australia


Koala Lou
This is Australia
D is for Down Under: An Australia Alphabet (Discover the World)
Diary of a Wombat
Possum Magic
Edward the Emu
Are We There Yet?

Books About Europe



This is Rome
Madeline
Eloise in Paris
Strega Nona
The Red Balloon
Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles
B Is for Big Ben: An England Alphabet

Books About North America


M Is For Maple: A Canadian Alphabet
Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition
Just a Minute!: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book
My Abuelita
Abuela (English with Spanish phrases)
A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women
A is for America
The Scrambled States of America

Books About South America



Up and Down the Andes: A Peruvian Festival Tale
Cassio’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a Brazilian Village (A Child’s Day)
For the Love of Soccer!
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
The Umbrella

More Reading Exploration

Be sure to request an invite to our 4 week course, The Reading Roadmap, so you can get the proven, ready-to-deploy system for helping EVERY student thrive!

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15 Comments

  1. “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf – Europe/Spain – awesome story for a wide age range!

  2. What a great post! I’ve never listed books around the world, except for various cultures’ Cindella stories.

  3. OH wow, great list. Especially with the Olympics – my girls are really experiencing people from different countries. We have This is Britain.

    Thank you for your Kira comment – fingers crossed!

    1. “This is Britain” is a great addition to the list! Thank you for sharing, Curly Birds. 🙂

    1. Fantastic additions, Sarah! Thank you for including a link to your Ramadan-themed book list.

    1. Thanks so much for the invite, Randomly Fascinated! I’m excited to check out your site.

  4. This is great list, since our kids need to be more aware of cultural differeces. I just want to point out that I would put Strega Nona in Europe because the stroty takes place in Italy.

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