I Have the Right to Be a Child

What are rights? Why do we have rights? Who has rights? Who bestows these rights? Do we need a document outlining our rights? What does it mean to have rights in the 21st century? What do rights mean to different people in different parts of the world? In 1989, world leaders decided that children needed a special convention - a legally binding international instrument incorporating all the minimum entitlements and freedoms of all children that should be respected by governments. Drawn up by the United Nations, the Convention on the Rights of the Child comprises of 54 articles and has been signed by 193 countries. Endorsed by Amnesty International UK, this exquisitely beautiful picture book takes the articles of the Convention and translates them into a language children can understand, in a non-preachy manner and with full-page artwork to illustrate each of these articles. Topics covered include food and water, healthcare, housing, poverty, international development, gender, race, the environment, disability, education, citizenship, family, war and freedom of speech. 'I Have the Right to Be a Child' is a multi-layered teaching resource for primary schools that children can read and respond to at their own levels. A brilliant book for classroom and home discussion on the complexities implied by the term rights and the big questions about what it means to have rights in the world we live in today. Teachers' notes and activity ideas available from Amnesty International and the publisher's website: http://www.phoenixyardbooks.com/view_book.php?id=22