One lucky Scottish child could win global coverage. Anne Johnstone has the details

ARE you aged between six and 12? Do you want to be in a Dorling Kindersley book? Write and tell The Herald why and you never know - it could be you!

Three years ago children's publisher Dorling Kindersley got together with the United Nations' Children's Fund, then celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. The result of the collaboration was a unique photographic portrait of children around the world. Children Just Like Me is an enchanting document, providing a rare insight into the lives of children the world over.

It employs the usual DK formula - vividly coloured pin sharp photographs of the subject, cut out and set against a plain white background, then annotated with brief comments and small objects. The formula intensifies the impact of the central image. So as in the Platonic ideal a DK duck conveys the very essence of duckiness; a DK child the very spirit of youth.

Each double spread is devoted to the world of one child from a young Russian ballerina, through a beaded 12-year-old Tanzanian nomad girl to a fisherman's son from Crete. The genius of the book is the joyous way it celebrates simultaneously the diversity and yet the sameness of these kids: rich, poor, thin, fat, Christian, Muslim, swathed in furs or wearing nowt but some tatty old shorts, yet all valuing love, family, friendship, pets, treats, each harbouring dreams and fears, and all desperately wanting a better, more peaceful world.

In her introduction to the book Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent praises the children in the book for ''an extraordinary ability to open your hearts to others''. The volume has sold more than 750,000 copies in 38 countries and won numerous awards.

This year Dorling Kindersley is returning to the same concept with a UK version of Children Just Like Me. Here is how editor Miriam Farbey describes the project: ''This will be a definitive insight into the lives, hopes and wishes of our nation's children for the new millennium. We are particularly keen to show that children and their parents are bound by locality or profession to communities which have existed for decades or even centuries. We would like to feature children from many contrasting communities.''

Farbey has asked The Herald to help her find a child from the West of Scotland to appear in the book. She is especially interested to hear from children whose families have strong links with a particular West of Scotland community or typical profession such as fishing, farming, shipbuilding, or mining. Maybe your mum or dad is a postie or an engineer.

The competition is open to all primary school children. To enter simply write to The Herald and tell us in no more than 100 words what is special about you and your family. You must ask a parent or guardian for permission before writing in. Please include a photo of yourself and your family with your name, age, telephone number, and address on the back plus a parent's signature. Please enclose a stamped address envelope if you want your photographs returned.

If you win first prize a photographer will visit you to take photographs to appear in the book. In addition 10 runners-up will receive prizes of Dorling Kindersley books.

Entries should be sent to Children Just Like Me Competition, The Herald, 195 Albion St, Glasgow G1 1QP, to arrive by Friday May 22.