This introductory chapter outlines the relevance of studying early childhood in a pastoralist society in Madagascar within an interdisciplinary context and provides an overview of the book’s content. Starting from the observation that the study site may appear highly remote—perhaps even exotic—to many readers, I argue that research in such settings remains urgently needed to develop a more comprehensive understanding of early childhood. This is because pastoralist societies are among the most underrepresented in the Western-centric research samples that inform current knowledge of early childhood. The chapter further argues that this Western sampling bias is not merely the result of a lack of research, but also of the insufficient integration of ethnographic studies into mainstream developmental science. The book therefore aims to address a broad, interdisciplinary audience by using accessible language and engaging with established concepts and theories. Before outlining the structure of the book, it introduces the conceptual approach of analysing children’s developmental niche, with particular attention to their complex social worlds and the existence of multiple developmental pathways.