My favorite part of being home in Atlanta is spending time with our nephews and niece. We may be bias, but they are quite possibly the cutest kids ever and we love playing with them. The week has been filled with games, the pool and reading books. With my mom being a kindergarten teacher, reading and storytelling was a part of our daily routine growing up and she has definitely carried on the tradition with her grandkids. She has a pretty great children’s book collection and this year for her birthday we helped internationalize it a bit more. Both Mom and the kids have enjoyed these bite-sized global reads:

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf is an oldie by a goodie. Teaching kids about classic Spanish culture from the perspective of a peaceable bull, this is one you may see on may 1st grade reading lists.

Tickle Tut’s Toes by Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo – a tangible way for a little one to experience ancient Egypt. My 2-year old niece loves it.

Olivia Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer and Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth are perfect for the 4-7 year old globe-trotter. With real pictures of Venice and good moral stories from Stillwater the panda, both will be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo is one of several cultural make-overs of the classic fairy tale. For your princess-loving kiddos, these are a great way into incorporate other cultures into their reading.

I finished off the gift with a little bit of creative wrapping by printing pictures or patterns that represented each country.

• The Story of Ferdinand – Spanish Flag
• Olivia Goes to Venice – picture of a gondolier
• Korean Cinderella – Korean calligraphy
• Zen Panda – red polka dots for the Japanese flag
• Tickle Tut’s Toes – hieroglyphics