One way to get closer to a country’s culture is to explore its proverbs and idiom. Being fans already of illustrator Axel Scheffler, we couldn’t resist his Proverbs from Far and Wide (Macmillan, 2001) when I came across it recently.

Scheffler depicts facial expressions with a cartoonist’s eloquence, whether on humans or other animals, and he really comes into his own here in conveying the meaning of each proverb through its accompanying vignette. The people are all shown wearing the traditional costumes of the proverb’s country of origin, which contributes to the global feel of the book; and the universality of humankind is communicated by the gathering of the proverbs into categories like “Friend or Foe?”, “What Happens Next?” or “That’s Not Fair”. Some of the gems included are:

Those who have one foot in the canoe and one in the boat are going to fall in the river – Tuscarora

A hasty man drinks tea with his fork – India

If I peddle salt, it rains; if I peddle flour, the wind blows – Japan

Trust in God, but tie your camel. – Persia

You cannot find a striped squirrel in every fence pole – North America

All in all, this is delightful book for introducing small – and not so small – children to some great expressions from different cultures… And it has got me looking around to see what other similar books there are out there for children. Here are a couple I’ve spotted and would love to know more about – if you know them, do tell us about them:

Tigers, Frogs and Rice Cakes: A Book of Korean Proverbs by Daniel D. Holt, illustrated by Soma Han (Shen’s Books, 1999);

Mi primer libro di dichos / My First Book of Proverbs by Ralfka Gonzales and Ana Ruiz (Children’s Book Press, 1995)

I’ve also come across Many Ideas Open the Way: A Collection of Hmong Proverbs by Randy Snook – it’s out of print now but there are some fun images here, although you don’t get to see the original Hmong as you would in the book…

Laos is gorgeous, picturesque, and on the UN Human Development Index it ranks 133 out of 177 nations. It’s a country in which 41% of the population is under the age of fourteen and where per capita income is low.  Books are hard to come by for Laos children and says American Carol Kresge, “Books matter.”

Living in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site,  Carol ensures that not only are books available for the residents of that city– there is also a library that goes far beyond the norm.  @My Library has 1200 books, with 1000 of those checked out every month, and  classes in English and Laos typing, computer skills, art, photography and calligraphy. Five different languages are taught, and there is a music room with guitars, keyboards, synthesizers and a recording studio for Laos and Hmong music. 

There’s a gallery showing the work of the photography students–if a photograph is purchased, 50 percent of the proceeds go to the photographer and the other half to the library, which is a non-profit institution. There is no charge to check out books, and the classes are free.

@MyLibrary is open six days a week, with 150 users a day, most of them between the ages of 14 and 27. It’s run by Carol and five Laos staff members, with the help of an innovative program called Stay Another Day. This enlists the assistance of travelers, enticing them to serve as volunteer language teachers or sharing their skills with other classes.

The library is a place to find books in the Hmong language, as well as in English and Laos. The most popular book?  It’s Malaysian author Billi Lim’s Dare to Fail. And in a culture where perfectionism can hamper effort, Carol Kresge is delighted that in her library, this is a title that is rarely on the shelf.