About the Author

A teacher with 26 years' experience teaching geography (his passion), history, and English, David J Smith left his school in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1992, and since then has made the world his classroom. He gives lectures and workshops for students and educators all over the world -- a typical week might include workshops in Brisbane, a keynote in Johannesburg, and a school visit in Hawai'i. The renowned educator won the U.S. Department of Education's A+ for Breaking the Mold Award for his highly successful geography curriculum, Mapping the World by Heart. His first children's book, If the World Were a Village: A Book About the World's People, was published in 2002 to widespread acclaim. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife Suzanne, and his cat, Chica.