Welcome to PeopleJam's Q & A, a regular feature where we interview influential life improvement authors, bloggers, PeopleJam members and individuals.

We have interviewed Lisa Yannucci, the internationally known writer and founder of Mama Lisa's World, the internet's premier destination for children's songs from around the globe and for discussions of international culture.

PJ: What are the benefits of exposing children to nursery rhymes and songs outside of their own culture?

Lisa: Well, when songs are different from those in our own culture, it helps us understand that there are other ways to think and to see the world. When songs are similar to the ones we're familiar with, we see that children all over the world, though they may be different from us in some ways, they're still interested in many of the same things in childhood that we are: studying the bugs on the ground, the flowers, the sun, the rain – many of the things that are part of being a human on earth.

PJ: What were your personal favorite books and songs growing up?

Lisa: My favorite book was called The Upside-down Man. It was about a guy who insisted on walking upside-down. At first everyone thought he was strange and different. In the end he convinced them that life was interesting upside-down. So they all joined him in the upside-down life. I can relate to how that guy saw things differently from the mainstream and admire how he was able to convince everyone to see things his way - and to try life from a new perspective!

I loved the song, "This Old Man" and can still remember watching the 78 LP on the record player spin in a circle playing the song (with the dog and the gramophone on it). Some other favorite songs and rhymes were: This Little Piggy, Oh, Little Playmate, Miss Suzy, Miss Mary Mack, and X Marks the Spot.

What inspired you to create a site catered to children's songs from around the globe?

Lisa: I've always loved music and have always been fascinated by international cultures. When my son was little, I first created a traditional English Mother Goose site. It was a natural extension to expand it to a collection of international rhymes and songs.

PJ: What is the number one lesson that running and creating Mama Lisa's World taught you?

Lisa: That you can really achieve something if you put your mind to it. Not to be patting myself on the back, but I'm still amazed by the size of Mama Lisa's World: the fact that we've been able to collect rhymes and songs from 110 countries and cultures and in over 90 languages – with minimal resources. It's been a 12 year project thus far. I mainly worked on it alone for 9 years. Now my husband, Jason Pomerantz, and my colleague in France, Monique Palomares help me. Monique translates all the songs and rhymes into French and Spanish so that it's accessible to more of the world and Jason does all of the programming.

I'm also incredibly grateful to all the people from around the world who've shared their culture's songs with us!

It's a nice feeling to have been able to help share world cultures, in some way, among millions of people on the web.

PJ: If you were to create your own nursery rhyme, what theme would you choose to focus on?

Lisa: Perhaps it would be about living the upside-down life! Other than that, the traditional themes would be fun to write about: butterflies, dogs, rainbows, etc. inspired by my daughter's love for those things that kids adore.

PJ: Are there any nursery rhymes or songs from another culture that you have not yet explored yet would like to?

Lisa: There are still countries and cultures that are missing from Mama Lisa's World that I would love to add. There are many cultures, especially from Africa and South America, not to mention songs from dying languages that I would love to help preserve on my site.

PJ: How much do you think is lost in the translation of the songs?

Lisa: I think that varies from song to song. Some are easier to translate than others. The ones with simple concepts and words often lose less. Some have nonsense words that are basically untranslatable – in that case you have to go for the sound. Sometimes there are words that exist in one language, that don't exist in the other. In that case you have to go for the closest translation and try to notate the nuances, if possible, below the song. We all try our best!

PJ: How has Mama Lisa's World affected you as a parent?

Lisa: I've tried to get my children involved in the sites. I think it's helped expose them to world cultures and see that they can share their own work with the world in a real way (thanks to the internet).

When they want to sing a song or recite a rhyme, I'll record them and post it on my site. I also post their drawings to go with rhymes and songs.

I've also tried to play some recordings from the site for them, so they can hear people singing from around the globe. I think it's given me a tool to expose my children to world cultures. But what I use from the site for my kids is exactly what's available to everyone else on the net.

Using my kids recordings and drawings is great for their confidence too. It shows them that things they create can go out into the world to be shared by other people. Not to sound like an advertisement – but I welcome parents to send me their children's drawings or recordings of traditional songs or rhymes too, to post. It's wonderful for kids to see their work on the web and to share it with people around the globe!

Thanks Lisa! Be sure to check out Mama Lisa's World for children's nursery rhymes and songs from around the world. It is a truly enriching site!

Click here to see Mama Lisa's page on PeopleJam, where you can review his site and see what others like yourself think.

Here's what one of our readers had to say:

"Mama Lisa's World is a delightful site for anyone who wants to expose their children to other cultures and languages at a young age. I have traveled extensively, more so in my younger days, and that has influenced they way in which I want to raise my children." -PareCon80