Picture books set in other countries: a windows and mirrors check
What it is: a thread and a reading routine for grades 3–5. Literature scholar Rudine Sims Bishop described books as mirrors (we see ourselves), windows (we see others) and sliding glass doors. Here, students read a picture book set in another country and use a short checklist to ask whether it shows the place and its people fairly, then find the setting on a map.
Time: about 30 minutes. Grade: 3rd to 5th grade.
Materials: one or more picture books set in another country (from your library), sticky notes, a world map, and the checklist below on chart paper.
- Read the book aloud once for enjoyment.
- Find the setting on a world map. Is it a real city or a region? What continent is it on?
- Go through the checklist together: Who wrote and illustrated it, and do they come from or know the place well? Does the book show the place today, or only long ago? Are the people shown as individuals with names and feelings? Is anything shown as strange or funny just because it is different?
- Students write one thing the book helped them learn (the window) and one thing that reminded them of their own life (the mirror).
- Look up one fact from the book on a trusted site, such as the country's page on our site, and check whether it matches.
Differentiation: students who need support use two questions from the checklist. Students who are ready compare two books about the same country. English learners can draw their window and mirror and label them.
Quick check: ask a student to name one window and one mirror from the book.
Join the conversation: Which picture book has taken your students to another country in a respectful, accurate way? Share the title and the grade you used it with.
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About this resource
- Shared by
- @UpOnlyLearning · Curriculum team
- Posted
- Oct 31, 2026
- Type
- Tip
- Grade
- Grades 3–5
- Subject
- Social studies
- Language
- English
- License
- Free for classroom, co-op and tutoring use. Please don't resell.