Dubai, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France… after five weeks of exploring faraway destinations our little holidaymakers have definitely caught the travel bug. Visiting, reading, writing and drawing about all these exciting new places is so much more fun than sitting at a school desk! Even if an overseas holiday is not on the cards for you, there is always the amazing world of books to help you travel the globe:
As the name suggest The Kids’ Bookshop is a fantastic online book store that specialises in children’s literature, combined with the valuable knowledge and expert advice of an in-store (or should I say on-store?) librarian. This wonderful Australian owned and operated business is passionate about children, books and making the perfect match between the two, they love helping customers find the right book for every child, age and situation.
With the travel bug in mind, here are five awesome travel themed reads for young adventurers, handpicked by The Kids’ Bookshop:
We’re starting close to home with Alison Lester’s Are We There Yet? (RRP $24.95), a real childhood classic that has been enjoyed by many Aussie families over the years. This gorgeous picture book follows 8-year old Grace and her family on a memorable journey around Australia. From the Pinnacles to Uluru, from the Great Barrier Reef to the Blue Mountains, from the city to the outback and anywhere in between, the old camper trailer takes them to the most beautiful places.
Not only is Are We There Yet? a fun way to learn about Australia’s hot spots, thanks to the colourful illustrations in Alison’s signature style it is both a joy to read and look at. The older kids have read, and the younger ones have studied, this book many times already, they especially love it when I read it out loud and they can listen, look and dream about all these wonderful places they hope to visit one day.
Using rhyme and modern art Finnish illustrator and graphic designer Lotta Nieminen invites children to Walk This World (RRP $34.95). Each page-spread of this picture book features a busy city scene, a short rhyme and lots of lift-the-flap windows and doors waiting to be opened. It’s a bit like a puzzle, readers need to put all the clues together to discover their location. The bright, contemporary art makes this book a real standout that especially older children will be able to appreciate.
Hop on board the Vespa and join Mr Chicken as he explores Italy’s capital like only Mr. Chicken can. After the success of Mr Chicken goes to Paris and Mr Chicken lands on London it’s time for a chirpy new holiday in Mr Chicken arriva a Roma (RRP $24.99) by Leigh Hobbs. This funny picture book is sure to delight young readers, our tribe loved the pictures of the big, yellow holidaymaker and me reading the story with my best Italian accent had them all giggling.
Friendly tour guide Federica takes Mr Chicken to see all Rome’s biggest tourist attractions like the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. He learns a couple of helpful Italian words, samples some of Italy’s famous cuisine (delicious pasta and fresh gelato) and enjoys a surprise meal with a real Roman family. Before he knows it it is time to say Ciao, I can’t wait to see where Mr Chicken will go next!
Thought geography was boring? The Amazing World Atlas (RRP $29.99) by Lonely Planet Kids is sure to prove you wrong, created especially for older children this large, full-colour kids atlas makes geography exciting, interesting and intriguing. Well known for their popular travel guides for adults the experts at Lonely Planet have collected all their world-knowledge in one amazing book that lets you travel the globe with the flip of a page.
Use the atlas to look up maps and learn about continents, countries, capitals and other big cities, it also tells you all kinds of cool statistics and funny did-you-knows about new destinations and cultures that are sure to give you the upper-hand at the next quiz night. With 160 pages of awesome content this atlas will keep curious minds busy for ages, who knew learning could be so much fun?
As we planned our holiday in the middle of the school term our three oldest kids were expected to keep a journal of our trip, something they weren’t always keen on. If only I had seen this great journal earlier, it has so many fun diary/journal ideas that kids would love to do and write about. If you are planning a trip to sunny Bali, a popular holiday destination for Aussie tourists, make sure you pack this little gem in your luggage.
My Awesome Bali Adventure: A Travel Journal for Kids (RRP $19.95) by Phillip Gwynne and Eliza McCann helps young travellers to record all their special holiday moments so they can remember them for years to come. This spiral bound journal encourages kids to look, listen and smell their way around Bali, write about the plane trip, to colour and draw, play a game or do a puzzle, practise some new words, learn about the currency and much more, what a fantastic boredom-buster (and a nice keepsake)! Fingers crossed they release different journal titles for other destinations around the world too.
To find out more about The Kids’ Bookshop, to browse the range and to order online visit www.thekidsbookshop.com.au, shipping is free for orders over $50.
a Rafflecopter giveaway