If the World Were 100 People

May 24, 2021
This visually engaging nonfiction picture book begins with a simple conceit: “It’s tricky to picture 8,000,000,000 people, so instead, let’s imagine the whole planet is a village where 100 people live.” McCann proceeds to distill statistics about the 100 villagers, covering facts such as binary gender, physical characteristics, population distribution, housing security, first languages, literacy, access to electricity and internet, wealth distribution, and more, and closing with an assessment of the future. The upfront prose gently advocates for change where needed: “Every year, about a third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste. That is more than enough to feed the 11 people who are hungry.” Bright, eye-catching art by Cushley features an inclusive cast and additional annotated facts. An informative, appealing primer on societal data. Ages 4–8.

June 1, 2021
When the world's population is reduced to 100 people, similarities and differences become dramatically visible. Budding mathematicians, economists, sociologists, and ecologists will all find something useful in this percentage-based look at human life on Earth. Reducing the world's population of (roughly) 8 billion humans to a community of 100 souls allows readers to wrap their heads around some pretty big concepts: genetic diversity, geographic dispersal, and humanitarian themes such as living conditions (20 people don't have safe homes), access to clean water (29 people don't have such access), and wealth distribution (just 10 people control 85% of the world's wealth). Each of 11 double-page spreads discusses a specific topic, and a final spread helps readers consider questions about our future. A colorful cast of unibrowed characters representing the world's population fills each page, and the range of skin tones, hairstyles, garb, abilities, weight, and age will help readers understand just how diverse the human population can be. Astute readers will note that the same characters do not appear on every page, and some illustrations present noticeably fewer than the titular number. Educators may find the book a useful addition to their shelves, and the book may serve as a springboard for discussions or projects. A bibliography of digital sources appears at the front of the book to aid readers in understanding how the statistics in the book were compiled. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Statistically fascinating. (Informational picture book. 7-10)

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Starred review from July 1, 2021

Gr 2-5-Using clear, colorful, and inviting infographics and short, interesting text, this book asks "big questions" about life on Earth. McCann opens by asking, "How many people are there in the world?" Since there are approximately eight billion, the author suggests that instead of dealing with such a big number, readers should imagine instead that the world consists of only 100 people. That way, each person represents 80 million people. This approach pares the statistics down to a small, manageable size so we see that 50 of the 100 people are female, 50 are males, 25 are children under 14 years old, and 8 are people more than 65 years old. Using the more easily understandable number of 100 people, the author raises 10 big questions such as: "Where does everyone live?" "Is there enough food to go around?" The final question is, "What are the big questions?" Here the author raises important queries like: "How can we reduce waste and improve the way we share the food we have?" While other books and educational materials have dealt with thinking about the world population as 100 people, this is an up-to-date invitation to think about important issues we are facing right now. Using the text and infographics, readers can discuss the questions raised, do some additional research, and ultimately take informed action. VERDICT This is a terrific find for social studies teachers who want to promote inquiry and active citizenship.-Myra Zarnowski, City Univ. of New York

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