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They say a picture is worth a thousand words but what about tens of pictures? From over 50 countries? Well, that's a book, and it's called Toy Stories: Photos of Children from Around the World and Their Favorite Things.

For about two years, Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti had been visiting boys and girls around the globe to capture their portraits with their most prized possession — toys. From Texas to India, Malawi to China, Iceland, Morocco, and Fiji, Galimberti recorded the spontaneous and natural joy that unites kids despite their diverse backgrounds. Whether the child owns a veritable fleet of miniature cars or just a single stuffed monkey, the pride that they have is moving, funny, and thought-provoking.

More info: gabrielegalimberti.com | Instagram | Facebook

Discover more in Children From Around The World Showcase Their Favorite Toys In This Heartwarming Series (22 Pics)

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#1

Chiwa, 4, Mchinji, Malawi

Young child from around the world standing on a bed with favorite toys including a dinosaur and stuffed animals.

Gabriele Galimberti Report

"I started this project almost by chance!" Galimberti told Bored Panda. "The first photo that I took for this series was in Tuscany, it's the one with the girl and the cows in the background. She's the daughter of one of my best friends. He asked me to photograph her, so I went to their house and she was playing with the cows. I thought that situation was really nice and so I decided to take a photo of that moment. I asked her to pose together with her toys and with the cows in the background. Then I really loved the result and some months later, when I had the possibility to start my trip around the world, I decided to take the same kind of photo in every country that I was going to visit."

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    #2

    Rivaldo Fesna, 5 , Port-Au-Prince , Haiti

    Young child from around the world standing with a handmade toy car outside a corrugated metal home in a sunlit street.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

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    Galimberti traveled the world in 2012-2013. At that time, he was working for one of the biggest Italian magazines, D La Repubblica. He was doing a story for the magazine about CouchSurfing and visited 58 countries using the Internet platform. Every week, he had a page on the magazine to report his trip and was publishing a portrait of the couchsurfer that was hosting him at the time.

    "All the children that I have photographed are somehow connected to the couchsurfers that have hosted me. They are their children, their nephews, or simply their neighbors."

    #3

    Tangawizi, 3, Keekorok, Kenya

    Child from around the world standing by a stuffed toy monkey inside a rustic home, showcasing favorite toys in a heartwarming moment.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    The kids look comfortable and relaxed in the photos and that's probably because Galimberti took the time to earn their trust first. Mostly by playing with them. "I was really surprised to see how easy it was for children to understand my project!" He would spend anywhere from a couple of hours to a whole day getting to know the children before taking out his camera.

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    You can see a lot of differences in the photos but the thing that all of them have in common, according to Galimberti, is that they just love to play.

    #4

    Maudy, 3, Kalulushi, Zambia

    Child from around the world standing on a dirt road with favorite colorful sunglasses arranged in front of her.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    #5

    Kafele, 5 , Mkanda, Malawi

    Smiling child from Africa standing barefoot with favorite toys, showcasing children from around the world in a heartwarming series.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    #6

    Bothe, 4, Maun, Botswana

    Child from around the world standing on red porch with favorite stuffed monkey toy in heartwarming series

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    #7

    Arafa And Aisha, 4, Bububu, Zanzibar

    Two smiling children from around the world standing on a bed with their favorite toys lined up in front of them.

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    #8

    Porjai, 3 , Bangkok, Thailand

    Child from around the world posing with favorite toys, including a toy guitar and microphone in a colorful bedroom.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    #9

    Virginia, 5, American Fork, Utah

    Young girl on wooden porch with toy baseball bats and ball, children from around the world favorite toys showcase.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    #10

    Alessia, 5, Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy

    Child from around the world standing with favorite toy wheelbarrow and garden tools inside a barn with cattle.

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    #11

    Bethsaida, 6, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

    Young girl from around the world showcasing her favorite toys while sitting on a small wooden chair inside a simple room.

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    #12

    Zi Yi, 3, Chongquing, China

    Young child standing behind an array of colorful toys showcasing favorite toys from around the world.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    #13

    Taha, 4, Beirut, Lebanon

    Child from around the world standing on a sofa playing with a toy car in a simple room showcasing favorite toys.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    #14

    Ernesto, 3, Firenze, Italy

    Child from around the world showcasing favorite toys standing on bed with homemade toys and cans arranged on floor

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    #15

    Naya, 3, Managua, Nicaragua

    Young girl from around the world proudly showcases her favorite colorful toy tea set inside a wooden room.

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    #16

    Lauren, 6, Muskoka, Canada

    Girl in pink pajamas standing on a dresser with her matching doll in a wooden room, showcasing favorite toys from around the world.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    #17

    Callum, 4, Fairbanks, Alaska

    Child from around the world in snowy forest showcasing favorite sled toys and winter gear on a cold day.

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    #18

    Talia, 5, Timimoun, Algeria

    Young girl from around the world posing with her favorite toys including a bicycle and dolls in a heartwarming scene.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    #19

    Allenah, 4, El Nido, Philippines

    Young girl from around the world posing with her favorite toys, surrounded by stuffed animals on wooden shelves.

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    #20

    Puput, 4, Ubud, Bali

    Young girl from around the world showcasing her favorite pink and black toy ball on a patriotic bedspread.

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    #21

    Julia, 3, Tirana, Albania

    Young child with favorite dolls and toys in a pink-themed bedroom, showcasing children’s favorite toys worldwide.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    #22

    Norden, 5, Sidi Benzarne, Morocco

    Child from around the world standing with favorite toys and books on a patterned carpet by an open window.

    Gabriele Galimberti Report

    The photographs of children with their treasured possessions remind us of the universal language of play.

    While the vibrant portraits tell stories of childhood joy, they also resonate with deeper themes explored in Kid's toys revealing cultural tales. There, the photographer uncovered not just the children's playtime preferences but also insights into global parenting styles and family dynamics.

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