It Takes a Village facts for kids
Front cover
|
|
| Author | Hillary Rodham Clinton |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
|
Publication date
|
January 1996 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | 1-4165-4064-4 |
| OCLC | 76838574 |
| 305.23/10973 22 | |
| LC Class | HQ792.U5 C57 2006 |
| Followed by | Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets (1998)' |
It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us is a famous book written by Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was the First Lady of the United States when the book was published in 1996. In this book, Hillary Clinton shares her ideas about how to help children in America grow up well. She believes that many different people and groups, not just families, help shape a child's life. The book talks about how society should work together to meet all the needs of children.
The book was re-released in 2006 as a special Tenth Anniversary Edition. Later, in 2017, it was even turned into a picture book for younger kids.
Contents
What the Book Is About
This book explains that everyone in society has a part to play in raising children successfully. It looks at this idea from many different angles. Hillary Clinton describes herself as a "Moderate" in the book. This means she supports both government programs to help people and also traditional family values.
Clinton points out many groups and people who help raise children. These include families, grandparents, neighbors, teachers, doctors, and even businesses and politicians. She believes that all these parts of a community work together to support kids.
Where the Saying "It Takes a Village" Comes From
The title of the book, "It Takes a Village," comes from a well-known saying. Many people believe it is an African proverb, meaning "It takes a village to raise a child." This saying was popular even before Hillary Clinton used it for her book title. For example, a children's book called It Takes a Village by Jane Cowen-Fletcher was published in 1994.
It's interesting to know that experts have debated if this exact proverb truly came from one specific African culture. However, many proverbs from different African cultures share a similar idea. They all suggest that a child's upbringing is a community effort.
For instance, in the Lunyoro language, a proverb means "A child does not grow up only in a single home." In Swahili, a saying means "One who is not taught by his mother will be taught by the world." These proverbs show that the idea of a community helping to raise children is very old and widespread in Africa.
In 2016, NPR tried to find the exact origin of the proverb. They couldn't pinpoint one source. But they agreed that the saying truly captures the spirit of many African cultures. Sometimes, sayings that start with "there's an African saying" are not from one specific place. NPR concluded that sometimes, we just don't know the exact origin of a proverb.
Special Editions of the Book
Tenth Anniversary Edition
In 2006, It Takes a Village was published again as a 10th Anniversary Edition. It had a new cover and a new introduction written by Hillary Clinton. In this new introduction, she talked about how the book's message was still important in the Internet era and after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This new edition also included updated information from studies done in the ten years since the first book came out.
Hillary Clinton continued to talk about the book's ideas throughout her political career. During her presidential campaigns in 2007 and 2015, she often said, "I still believe it takes a village to raise a child." She used this idea to explain that society needs to work together to create a place for everyone.
Picture Book Version
Front cover
|
|
| Author | Hillary Rodham Clinton |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Marla Frazee |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
|
Publication date
|
September 12, 2017 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 40 |
| ISBN | 1-4814-3087-4 |
In 2017, It Takes a Village was made into a picture book. Marla Frazee, a famous children's book illustrator, drew the pictures for it. She said she was honored to help bring Hillary Clinton's message to children. Just like with the original book, any money made from the picture book goes to charity.
Hillary Clinton had thought about making a picture book for many years. She worked on it with Marla Frazee during her 2016 presidential campaign. The picture book was released on September 12, 2017. It came out on the same day as her other book, What Happened, which was about her experience in the election.
The picture book is mostly for very young children. However, some of its messages can also be understood by adults. It has about 117 words. Reviewers said the picture book showed Clinton's idea of a diverse America working together for a good cause.
One review said the picture book focused more on what children do than on what adults do. The review especially praised the artwork. It said that Marla Frazee's drawings were "vibrant and action-packed." The story is told through her pictures of everyday life as people work together to create something new and beautiful.
See also
In Spanish: Es labor de todos para niños
