This book challenges taken for granted views of early childhood across the globe. It deepens and broadens our understanding of what it means to be a child today and of the challenges children face in different parts of the world. It will be essential reading for all who work with young children or are students of early years education and professional care. The authors examine the effects of changes in family circumstances and of poverty, rural and social isolation and trauma on young children's lives, and consider also how new technologies are changing policy in education. The contributors come from the UK, USA, Eastern and Western Europe, Australia and two African countries. Each reflects on the nature of childhood from their personal perspective, illustrating their theme with case studies. Questions are posed to encourage readers to relate the issues to their own environment. The contributors include Jennifer Bowes, Stig Brostrom, Eileen Carmichael, Philomena Donnelly, Joanna Einarsdottir, Eve Gregory, Mary James, Foster Kholowa, Horatiu Rusu, Sian Wyn Siencyn, Christine Stephen, Allison Tatton Glenda Walsh and Lynne Williamson. This book is divided into four sections and contains 16 chapters. The chapters include: (1) Introduction: Themes and Issues (Margaret M. Clark and Stanley Tucker); (2) Icelandic Parents' Views on Playschool Education and the Transition to Primary School (Johanna Einarsdottir); (3) Starting School in Ireland: the Experience of Young Children from the Refugee Community (Hilomena Donnelly); (4) The Role of Siblings and Grandparents in the Lives of New Londoners (Eve Gregory); (5) The Challenges for Children Experiencing Rural Poverty in Wales (Sian Wyn Siencyn); (6) Isolation and Inclusion in Australian Early Childhood Settings (Jennifer Bowes, Kerry Hodge, and Rebekah Grace); (7) Growing Up in Rural Malawi: Dilemmas of Childhood (Foster Kholowa and Sue Ellis); (8) Childhood in the World of AIDS in South Africa (Mary James); (9) War and Peace in Northern Ireland: Childhood in Transition (Glenda Walsh and Dorothy McMillan); (10) Romanian Childhoods: Continuity and Change through Intergenerational Lenses (Horatiu Rusu and Anca Bejenaru); (11) Weaving a New Life: a Somali Family's Resettlement in Urban America (Lynne Williamson); (12) The Changing Face of Care for Looked After Children in England (Allison Tatton); (13) Integrated Care Strategies and Their Impact on Family Life in Glasgow: Parents and Children Together (Eileen Carmichael); (14) Digital Technologies at Home: The Experiences of 3- and 4-Year Olds in Scotland (Christine Stephen, Joanna McPake, and Lydia Plowman); (15) A Voice in Decision Making: Young Children in Denmark (Stig Brostrom); and (16) Issues for the Present and Issues for the Future (Margaret M. Clark and Stanley Tucker).