These DVDs are about 30 minutes long, with two 15-minute segments. Each segment is a child telling about his or her daily life. The DVD about the Philippines tells the story of Khim, who lives in a rural area on the island of Cebu, and the story of Shahani, who lives near Manila on the island of Luzon. They both tell what their day is like, what they eat, what they do for entertainment, the work they do, what their parents do, and what their school is like. The DVD about Germany is the story of Sophia, who lives in a little town near Frankfurt, and Ole who lives in Berlin. Both of the German segments focused a little bit on Halloween, which I though was odd since it is typically an American holiday and since there are so many unique holidays in Germany that could have been the focus.

I had a particular interest in these two countries because we have had foreign exchange students from both countries. Plus, my sister was a missionary in the Philippines for eight years, and I myself lived in Germany for six years. These DVDs are very interesting and informative, and I think they would be a beneficial addition to homeschool geography classes, which is how I will use them. These sell for 29.95 each, so perhaps they could be purchased by a homeschool co-op library or checked out from the public library. These DVDs would also be beneficial for Foreign Exchange Student groups to show the host families what life is like in the country where their student is coming from. I can see multiple uses for them and am thrilled to have the two that I have.

Product review by Christine Hindle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November 2011