Travel to Central America in Newest Title in AwardWinning Families of the World DVD Series Families of Costa Rica Available

Just in Time for Back-to-School

Travel to Central America in Newest Title in Award-Winning Families of the World DVD Series - 'Families of Costa Rica' - Available on DVD August 19, 2008 - Just in Time for Back-to-School

No passport required! Just sit back, relax and spend some time with two friendly families in Costa Rica without ever leaving your living room in Families of Costa Rica, the latest title in the multi-award-winning Families of the World DVD series, which continues to explore the lives and cultures of children around the world .

Cincinnati, OH July 22, 2008 -- No passport required! Just sit back, relax and spend some time with two friendly families in Costa Rica without ever leaving your living room in Families of Costa Rica, the latest title in the multi-award-winning Families of the World (www.familiesoftheworld.com) DVD series, which continues to explore the lives and cultures of children around the world .

The series - 19 titles and growing - offers a documentary-style "day in the life" glimpse into how people in different countries live from a child's point of view. Families of Costa Rica will be available on DVD August 19, 2008 for a suggested retail price of $29.95. The entire Families of the World catalog is also available on DVD with many titles being broadcast on select PBS stations around the country and around the world .

In Families of Costa Rica, we are invited into the lives of two families, one rural and one urban, and follow them in their daily activities from waking to bedtime, all the while showing that kids living thousands of miles away in other countries lead everyday lives and participate in daily activities very similar to American children.

Ten-year-old Estibaliz is a happy little girl growing up in Cabuya, which is very close to a national nature reserve and has a thriving ecotourism business. Her day begins very early with a few morning activities including breakfast (tortillas, eggs and hot dogs) and some last minute homework. While her mother works as a housekeeper and her father as a groundskeeper for a local hotel, Estibaliz attends private school, studying English, geography, science, math and history. She enjoys eating lunch with her friends and playing in the school band. After school, Estibaliz does chores, including picking up fallen mangoes from the yard and feeding them to the neighboring cows. The following day, we accompany her and her family to an island cemetery to visit her grandmother's grave, then enjoy evening soccer games and a local dance before settling in for bed.

Later, we meet 10-year-old Jos, who lives in Escazu, close to the capital city of San Jose, with his parents and three-year-old brother Gabriel. Jos also starts his day early, enjoying an egg sandwich for breakfast, followed by Bible study with his father (they're Evangelical Christians), then it's off to private school for him as well. Because his family is building a new home, the trip to school includes a stop to borrow his grandfather's truck to pick up construction supplies. At school, classes include science, art, computers and math. After lessons, Jos participates in soccer practice. Upon returning home, he walks his dog Sophie, plays music with his brother and does his homework, which includes writing an essay on what he wants to be when he grows up - a professional soccer player for Team Barcelona! Then it's off for a well-earned good night's sleep.

School Library Journal applauds Families of the World as "excellent," providing "an intriguing taste of another culture." The series, which has garnered repeated acclaim and awards from Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Parents' Choice and NAPPA (National Parenting Publications of America) as well as endorsements from KIDS FIRST! and recommendations from Dr. Toy's Children's Products, is used in classrooms around the country as a valuable tool for multi-cultural education.

Families of the World is recommended for ages 5-11. The series features families in Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Ghana, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico (includes Spanish and English soundtrack), Puerto Rico, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, the USA, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and Canada. To order, call 1-800-765-5885 or visit www.familiesoftheworld.com.

Educational: $29.95 included PPR

ISBN: 978-1-60480-055-5

Press Information:

Andrea Blain Public Relations

9750 Crawford Ave.

Skokie, IL 60076

Phone: 847-933-9884

Fax: 847-673-5836

andrea @ andreablainpr.com

Travel to Central America in Newest Title in AwardWinning Families of the World DVD Series Families of Costa Rica Available