A very important book for children to read with a grown-up. Too often parents and teachers avoid hard, or possibly upsetting topics. Kids, instead of learning how to ask questions about hardships, disabilities, and mental illness, instead learn that they shouldn't talk about certain topics.

This leads to a perpetual cycle of poverty full of misinformation and misunderstandings. I am thankful that the authors tackled this difficult subject with grace and tact and more importantly demonstrated how to ask questions about topics no one seems to talk about.

I look forward to more books in this series.

While I thought the actual writing and specific content was pretty flat, I think the way the book addresses the issue of poverty and discussing it with children is done very well. I appreciate the questions and types of answers the book provides for adults.

Really great resource that opens a path for dialogue on a topic that can be difficult to discuss. Will be recommending.

On Our Street: Our First Talk About Poverty by Jillian Roberts; Jaime Casap is a book that talks about poverty, homeless, refugee, and all the difference between people in they basic way of loving. The story is easy to use with kids to show them how they are lucky to live the way of live they have, to make them aware of social issues and to explain to them how we can all play a part to make others lives better.

A direct and clear way to talk about the issues of poverty, I like how it's framed as questions with the answers, nice photographs from around the world illustate the points well.

I received this ARC from Orca Book Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book attempts to answer a child’s questions about homelessness and poverty. It is exceptionally well done. The mix or real pictures and illustrations help make the information understandable, and relatable.

This is a non-fiction books that focuses on the topic of poverty on the streets. It first discusses about those who are homeless and offers reasons why and what they face. It then looks at other types of poverty – such as being unable to afford medical care..

This is the first non-fiction book I have looked at for children in a while. I admire the purpose behind it but I feel it misses the more relatable poverty – at least from an Australian perspective – so bear in mind my thoughts about this American published book are probably coming from a different headspace.

One of the biggest types of poverty that, as a teacher, I have come across are those reliant on welfare. While many think that “dole-bludgers” have it easy more often then not their children go without a lot of things that others take for granted. While the book is quick to suggest refugees have limited or no access to some essential services to me it seems like the every day struggling family are pushed to the side in an attempt for the book to be more relevant to the current social media focus. For example, here in Australia we are fortunate to have a generous welfare scheme that negates a lot of homelessness from occurring in addition to many services and charities who can be reached out to for help. I think because of this I found (as an adult) this book difficult to relate to. There are many who choose to be homeless in our country and I’ve even heard stories in the news of homeless people who are collecting welfare but choose the life on the streets. Of course, that doesn’t account for everyone but it isn’t really dealt with in the book.

"On Our Street Our First Talk About Poverty" honestly explains what homelessness and poverty mean. Illustrations are accompanied by photographs of real people living through these dire situations. The book promotes empathy and compassion in readers by demonstrating that homelessness and poverty can happen to anyone, often through no fault of their own. It can affect people of all ethnicities, ages, and geographic regions. The authors provide a list of resources at the end of the book. I find the book particularly relevant as I work in close proximity to a family shelter. Many of the children transitioning to permanent housing attend the local schools and need as much support and understanding as possible. Highly Recommended.

One challenge of raising children is exposing them to unpleasant realities in the world and getting them to see beyond their own selfish concerns. To that end, On Our Street: Our First Talk about Poverty, can help parents and educators answer questions about poverty that children will inevitably see in their communities, and expose them to issues that perhaps are outside of their experience.


Written by child psychologist Jillian Roberts and Google "chief education evangelist" Jaime Casap, On Our Street starts with a little girl asking her friend about the man she saw sleeping on sidewalk. Her questions run the gamut of homelessness, poverty, children in poverty, refugees, and human rights. They discuss reasons for homelessness and causes of poverty, access to health care and education, and ways other people can help. They include helpful sidebars that offer definitions of terms and statistics about poverty.


While the presentation is basic, the content is solid and informative. Most American kids never personally experience homelessness or the severe lack of basic needs, but many kids do or are close to other kids who do. On Our Street is a nice way to introduce a hard topic to all kids.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

This was a good explanation of poverty for middle grade schoolers and middle schoolers. Not too difficult an explanation of the different types of poverty and their causes in easy to understand language. I think it would be a useful book to use in a classroom.

This book does a great job of introducing the concepts of poverty and homelessness to children in a compassionate way. It teaches children to be caring and gives suggestions for how to help. I appreciated that it touched on mental illness in a non-stigmatizing way as well. Highly recommend this to teachers of elementary age students.

On Our Street was an honest portrayal of the poverty we see on our streets each and every day. It approached poverty and homelessness in a way that made it less scary for children and made them feel comfortable asking questions. This book would be an excellent pair with Crenshaw and Maddi's Fridge to give a more non-fiction bend on the concepts of homelessness. I would love to have this as part of my classroom library.

5★
“When you venture out into the world around us, you may notice things that are new to you. The world is filled with unique people, who live in a variety of different ways. Sometimes people are happy in these different situations, and sometimes they are not. It’s okay to ask questions when you do not understand the way another person is living.”

Roberts is an educator and Casap is Google’s Global Education Evangelist. He’s the man who said: “Don’t ask kids what they want to be when they grow up; ask them what problem they want to solve.”

Because he said that, Roberts tracked him down and asked him to collaborate on a book to introduce and explain poverty to children. This is a wonderfully illustrated picture book that shows what homelessness is and includes photographs of real people sleeping on real streets. There are tents, there are people outside a busted-down building.

There’s nothing too grimy or confronting, but it’s real. There’s a man asleep, surrounded by his belongings, so a child asks why he’d do that. In amongst it all are sketches of other people and places, enough to trigger a lot of questions.

The book says there are many reasons that people might not have a home, or if they do, it isn’t a safe place to be. We are told about natural disasters (a photo of a flooded town), wars and abusive families.

“Are homeless people the only ones who live in poverty?’

“No, being homeless is only one kind of poverty. There are other kinds of poverty that are harder to see, like when people are not able to go to school or to the doctor.”

We’re told that many children grow up not able to get an education.

“‘Poverty is not simply measured by inadequate income. It is manifested in restricted access to health, education and other essential services and, too often, by the denial or abuse of other fundamental human rights…’
—Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General

The authors explain what essential services are and what human rights are, with relevant quotations in coloured text boxes in the margins.

“What can we do to help people who live in poverty?”

In line with Casap’s philosophy of education, there are many suggestions for ways to help solve the problems.

“One of the most important things you can do is care.”

Ideas range from giving someone a sandwich to helping with a food collection drive, keeping an eye on kids at school who seem troubled, finding a teacher or coach or religious leader who might help, getting to know the newcomers in your neighbourhood. I loved the phrase saying to donate "gently used clothing""

There’s an explanation of how people can’t afford to go to the doctor or may be so new to the place that they don’t know the language or where to ask for help. Get to know your neighbours and find out if any of them are newcomers who need advice or directions.

We learn what refugees are and something about what war is but just enough to create empathy but not so much as to create fear.

All in all, this is a wonderful way to initiate discussions not only with kids but with their families and teachers. And if it helps you decide what problems YOU want to solve when you grow up, all the better! :)

Wonderful idea. Kudos to the authors and thanks to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for a great effort.

Another one that all schools and libraries should add!