About the Author

Peter Menzel is a photographer known for his coverage of international feature stories on science and the environment. His award-winning photographs have been published in Life, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Time, Stern, GEO, and the New York Times Magazine. He has received a number of World Press Photo and Picture of the Year awards.

Faith D'Aluisio is the editor and lead writer for the Material World book series. She received the James Beard Foundation Award in 1999 for Best Book, Reference and Writing on Food for Man Eating Bugs- The Art and Science of Eating Insects. She is a former television news producer whose work received awards from the Radio-Television News Directors Association and the Headliners Foundation of Texas.

Peter and Faith are the co-creators of the books Material World- A Global Family Portrait, Women in the Material World, and Hungry Planet- What the World Eats, winner of the James Beard Foundation Award in 2005 for Book of the Year. They are also the co-authors of Man Eating Bugs and Robo sapiens- Evolution of a New Species. Peter and Faith live in Napa, California.

Reviews

2008 IRA Notable Book for a Global Society
2009 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, NCSS-CBC
Editors' Choice, Booklist
2008 Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal
2008 Best Book of the Year, Children's Nonfiction, Publishers Weekly

Review, Publishers Weekly:
"Brilliantly executed. . . . Engrossing and certain to stimulate."

Review, School Library Journal:
"A fascinating volume for browsing. . . . Visually stunning."

Review, Booklist:
"[This] is a fascinating, sobering, and instructive look at daily life around the world, and it will draw readers of a wide range to its beautifully composed pages."

Review, Book Links:
"Best new book for the classroom."

Review, Kirkus Reviews:
"The plentiful photos are fascinating, offering both intimate glimpses of family life and panoramic views of other lands. Whether used for research or received as a gift from socially conscious adults, this [book] offers children plenty to chew over."