A more empathetic world starts in childhood
Children are naturally curious and good-natured. They have no prejudices or fears – except for two that we are all born with: the fear of falling and loud noises.
Everything else is learned throughout life.
The more uniform the environment children grow up in, the narrower their range of experiences can become – what people they meet, what languages they hear, what foods they try, or what customs they consider important.
The more different cultures and people they encounter, the broader their worldview becomes.
This is expressed as:
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as empathy and understanding for people who are different from us
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to learn and find out more out of curiosity
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in the courage to try new things
Traveling is one of the best ways to broaden children's worldview.
However, this is not always possible - traveling requires time, money, and sometimes a lot of patience.
This is where books come to the rescue.
Books that are a mix of a picture book, a travel book, and a reading book and help children learn about the life, nature, customs, and culture of different countries.
If a child learns to understand different cultures early on, it will be easier for them to see other people as friends, not strangers, later on.
"Friends Around the World"
A book series that introduces children to different countries and cultures through simple, real-life moments and beautiful, engaging images.
Free delivery to parcel lockers in Estonia for orders over €35.
When ordering from the online store, you can add an author's dedication to the book if you wish.
What do these books give to children?
The series helps children understand the culture and nature of different countries, but also that despite our differences, we have a lot in common.
📘 Books:
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develop empathy and cultural sensitivity,
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support learning to read,
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introduce languages and values in a playful way,
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teach you to notice details around you,
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They are also ideal as travel companions.
🎯 The series is well suited for:
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for preschoolers and primary school children,
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for families who love to travel,
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for families who value real-life learning,
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For families following Montessori principles,
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as a gift for foreign guests.
Our story
The “Friends Around the World” book series was born from a very personal experience. During a family road trip from Estonia to Croatia, during which we traveled through 10 different countries with our two children in 10 weeks, I saw through my child’s eyes how naturally and deeply children discover the world. My son developed a great interest in flags, and on the playgrounds we often looked for ways to say “let’s play together” in a foreign language. His worldview expanded significantly during this trip.
When we got back to Estonia, I started looking for children's books that would help children learn about different countries, flags, and languages. I was looking for something that would be realistic, simple, and suitable for younger children. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any books that I had imagined - and so I felt like I had to make my own.
As we are a multilingual and multicultural family – the children's father is Portuguese and I am Estonian. Estonian, Portuguese and English are spoken in our home – valuing different cultures and naturally integrating them into our everyday lives has always been important to us. It was from this idea that the "Friends Around the World" book series and the Maailma Lapsed brand and publishing house were born.
I deeply believe that learning about different cultures fosters empathy, tolerance, and a broad worldview, and creates a strong foundation for language learning and an interest in geography, science, math, history, and many other areas. Children learn a lot when they travel – and my desire is to bring a piece of this exciting world into their daily lives, even when they are not traveling.
Mari-Ann Meigo Fonseca
book author and series creator
The books can be found at:
Resellers
Prisma Family Markets
Selver
Events
There are no events planned at the moment, but we have been present at Apollo and RaRa family mornings, the Tallinn TV Tower fun morning, and the Jõelähtme Montessori Day.
Storytelling
We would be happy to come to your playroom, store, restaurant, kindergarten, community event, podcast or show to read books and talk to children about discovering the world. Write to us!
An easy way to give your child the gift of a little trip
These books are not just stories about different countries - they help children notice, compare, ask questions, and discover how exciting and diverse the world is.
5 good reasons to choose the book "Friends Around the World" today :
• the child learns about different countries, languages and cultures in a playful way
• photorealistic images depicting real-life situations help children to understand the world better
• simple sentences are suitable for both reading aloud and learning to read
• books foster curiosity, empathy, and tolerance
• perfect for a gift, a trip, or a quiet time to read together
Start exploring the world with your child.
