I featured some of the early titles in a board book series, TINY TRAVELERS, aimed not at first-months-old audiences, but at curious preschool and early school readers who often display an unlimited interest in the wide world. The TINY TRAVELERS tagline is: BE A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD, certainly good advice for all ages! My praise of the series in this earlier post included the advantage of "virtual" travel for young and old, as well as the durability and overall quality of the books to invite repeated examination and sharing in pairs and small groups.
Two recent titles (I received from then publisher without a promise of a review) launch virtual visits to places that may be as unfamiliar to adults as they are to the little ones. Importantly, they retain the design pattern of the early titles, with each spread offering colorfully illustrated and categorical content that, when taken in total, suggest a storyline. With insets for fun facts, the topics include kid-friendly pronunciation of vocabulary in local languages that labels familiar objects and introduces cultural elements, clothing, traditions, and FOODS! Each destination/title features a double page spread with a feast for the eyes and the appetite, a sprawling array of gloriously displayed and labeled edibles that will invite tasting experiences in real life. Even sampling some of the featured menus at home can enhance these virtual vacations for the whole household.
Also featured within each title is an evergreen favorite activity for young audiences, a seek-and-find "Treasure Quest" to locate a particular image/item on a page. The back pages compile the dozen-plus images in stamp format as a checklist for success, followed by a simple world map with just-enough labeled locations and arrows (and vocabulary/pronunciation) to allow for success and entertainment while building global awareness and map-reading skills.
Each book also continues the style of big-eyed, enthusiastic children of many skin tones and ethnicities, wearing clothing and displaying actions that imply full immersion in the experiences. In total the books generate an overall inviting atmosphere and offer appeal to readers of an age older than usual for board book formats. These latest titles LEBANON TREASURE QUEST and COLUMBIA TREASURE QUEST are available from the publisher, HERE.
If any or all of this sounds appealing to kids you know, I urge you to take a closer look. I'll add the same disclaimer that I did in an earlier post about this series: I am the LEAST expert about these locations based on personal experience, extensive reading, or travel. I've thought of them from the point of view of overall appeal, presentation of content, and potential for reading/learning experiences. It is from that perspective that I recommend them, but cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of the cultural aspects presentations of the content. To my eye, as limited as that view is, they are respectfully and expansively presented and could benefit those to whom the topic is entirely new and also be valued by those whose identity connects with these countries and cultures, including things like finding the Arabic alphabet included in the LEBANON title when pronunciations in English are provided.
Make your own decisions once you take a look, and I do encourage you to take that look!
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