If the World Were a Village is an animated DVD based on David J. Smith’s wonderful children’s book of the same title.  It portrays the 6.2 billion people in our world as a village of 100 and breaks down the population by factors ranging from age and language spoken to how many have electricity.  The math is simple enough for most kids in the targeted age group (7-12), but younger children may need help with some of the ideas about poverty and world-mindedness.
 

The focus is on children.  As the narrator explains where the village residents come from, we see children representing each continent (61 from Asia, five from North America, etc.).  Then children say hello to each other in the eight most spoken languages, an engaging way to start the village tour.  We get mini-introductions to different children throughout the DVD as it weaves the statistics into village life and we see children practicing their different faiths or learn what the many children who don’t get to go to school do instead.  This approach gives the DVD a story-like flow and makes the population facts easier to understand and put into context.
 

The animation, based on Shelagh Armstrong’s original acrylic illustrations, is colorful and friendly, the music is happy, and Jackie Richardson’s narration is soothing, even when she discusses grim facts about poverty and hunger.  I like that those sad numbers (only 24 people in the village always have enough to eat and only 20 have money left over after paying for food and shelter) are stated so matter-of-factly.  This is a DVD with a social conscience that wants to teach children not only about themselves but about others and what we can do for each other.  After we learn that 26 people in our village are severely undernourished, we see a child about to steal an apple.  When he is caught by the farmer, he runs home, where the farmer’s daughter gives him two apples, giving a lovely lesson in generosity.
 

In addition to teaching social studies, If Our World Were a Village is a good lesson in math, as kids can add up the numbers in each category to make 100 then try to multiply it to fit the world’s numbers.  We in North America can also see how lucky we are when we learn that there are only 24 televisions in the village and, shockingly, just 10 computers.  Animals are not forgotten, and neither is pollution nor the need for clean water.
 

The DVD and book were created for children, but they can be just as powerful for adults because it is all too easy to only see our small corner of the village.  If the World Were a Village is a reminder of our interdependence, the need to share resources, and the importance of caring for our earth as we stretch its resources to the breaking point.  While those are big topics, this DVD can and should start conversations so children can better understand the world and their place in it.  All that said, at $29.95, this very short DVD is expensive, which must be taken into consideration.  Hopefully If the World Were a Village will find a home in classrooms across the country, where it can be shared by many.