bout de papier, Vol. 4, No. 4 (1986) — Winter 1986 // Hiver 1986, p. 46
Children Abroad: a guide for families
travelling overseas by J. Losos, A.
Clayton, N. Gerein, and Ruth Wilson,
Deneau, Toronto, 1986, $9.95.
The book is notable for two reasons: it is not comprehensive, it is comprehensible. Not often do these two virtues coincide. The medical information is explained in everyday language and includes everything from shots to snake bites to schistosomiasis. Keeping a child healthy is only half the challenge of raising children outside their own culture and I am pleased to find a reference work that also addresses some of the emotional impact of being a TCK (third culture kid).
The book contains short sections on, for example, saying good-byes, living with servants, nannies, travelling, staying in hotels, tropical clothing, education, reactions to the stress of relocation, foreign adoption and returning home.
Although “Children Abroad” is primarily concerned with the medical implications of living in a developing country with a tropical climate, there is enough general information about moving children out of their home culture to make it relevant to anyone relocating with their family.
The book is obviously written by people who have not only professional credentials but first hand experience with real children. It is not an amalgam of material gleaned from other texts. The style is straight forward and unpretentious with an occasional humourous twist. I found it entertaining as well as very informative and wish it had been available 20 years ago.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 4, No. 4 (1986) — Winter 1986 // Hiver 1986, p. 46. Read the rest of this issue →
