Do Kids Have Chores in Timbuktu? opens with siblings questioning whether their parents’ claim that most children do chores is actually true. After calling in assistance from friends around the world, they lead readers on a tour of chores, visiting children on each continent. Readers discover the wide spectrum of work that kids take on, from hanging laundry to weaving hats, and many, many activities in between. By the time the journey is through, the children agree that their parents were right about chores, and in the process they realize that chores aren't all that bad. A light-hearted glossary at the end enhances the book with details about vocabulary and locations introduced in the story.
Our momma says, "Pick up your toys."
Our dad says, "Sweep the floor."
They claim that other girls and boys
do this and even more.
We wonder if it’s really true,
or if it’s just their guess.
Do kids have chores in Timbuktu?
Do they work more, or less?
Let’s call up England and L.A.,
let's contact all our friends
from here to Mali (that's the way
we’ll find out all the trends).
If they have chores, what do they do?
We’ll ask them one by one.
We want to know (and wouldn’t you?)
who works till the work is done?