When I first read about the book, Where Children Sleep, I immediately pre-ordered myself a copy. It arrived last week and it’s as beautiful as it is real. James Mollison photographed children’s bedrooms around the world, from sixteen countries including the US, Mexico, Brazil, the UK, Italy, Kenya, Senegal, Japan, China and Nepal. His interest in this idea came from his acknowledgment of the importance of his own room growing up and he wanted to document how circumstances & different social situations would affect where a child sleeps. There is both a picture of the child and the child’s sleeping space/room, plus a little description of the child, which I think is genius. I find the juxtaposition of both, extremely intriguing and effective. This book is written with the age groups 9-13 years old in mind.
“I hope this book will help children think about inequality, within and between societies around the world.” says Mollison in his introduction.
These are only a few of the rooms- I just wanted to give you a peek. The idea of where children sleep appeals to two sides of me. Being that I make decor for children’s rooms, there is a curiosity about how and where different children live- what children find comforting. But before I started klt:works I worked for years in social services. I taught in a juvenile detention, worked with at risk youth, and found jobs for people with significant disabilities. I have had the opportunity to see the diversity in how youth live in just the small town that I call home. This book embodies so much that I am interested in. I also look forward to sharing it with Sayer when he is older. A definite “Good Read”.