When I
first heard about this new book series from Lonely Planet, my heart thundered
in my chest with literary anticipation, least of all because I’m a travel-lover
but most of all because I am high on the belief that children and travel are a
mighty fine blend.
Fast
forward two or three months and I now have this exciting new series in hand.
Has it lived up to my expectations? Well, yes and no.
My very first
impression with these books was how stunning the covers are – how vibrant,
attractive and full of tantalizing promise. Upon opening the books, I was told
on the opening pages that these books are not guidebooks. I must admit,
my heart sort of sank a little.
Even though
I was convinced these books were going to be ‘different’ and unlike anything
else done before (indeed, the very fact that they are marketed as NOT-FOR-PARENTS,
made me very excited indeed), I didn’t find them as unique as I thought I
would. Due to the Lonely Planet connection I guess I did think they would comprise some sort of ‘guide’ that could be
used when travelling. Something with maps, at least.
Sure, the
books could be used when traveling, but they are really more of a DK-style history
and culture lesson than a travel book, and I must admit, this was a tad
disappointing. But once I got over that, I began to embrace the books as a virtual tour to another
place through time and culture ... after all, the detail, iconic representation, history and pop-culture covered
is impressive.
The books
feature double-page spreads of fascinating information on kid-attractive sights
and other paraphernalia in London, Paris, New York and Rome. In London, for example, we
learn about the London Eye, British food, Harry Potter on Location, Jack the
Ripper, the Great Plague, music and palaces, among many other treats.
The pages
are interspersed with text, photos, illustrations, diagrams and speech bubbles,
making page-perusing a whole lot fun. The movement, colour and layout are very
well done – and much attention has been given to the ‘voice’ of the text and
its content, making it appeal to kids as young as 6 or 7, as well as teens.
I guess I
have to get over what I expected these books to be and appreciate them for what
they are, which is an excellent series of both educational and entertaining material
that will fascinate children. Well-researched, laid out and
presented, these books will be priceless for schools and libraries, and anyone
who wants to learn more about the world around them.
Also in this series...
The Travel
Book is a large format, hard cover book covering every country in the world –
and although the book is entitled 'Travel', it’s more of a fact book than a book
on travel destinations.
With one
page dedicated to each country, kids will learn a handful of well-researched
facts per country, including official stats such as languages spoken,
population, currency and land area.
Other facts
covered include such tidbits as history, culture, geography, flora and fauna
and local idiosyncrasies.
This is a
fascinating book for both children and adults, too, despite its kid-oriented
content. Well-written, gorgeously styled with fabulous photographs and blocks
of colour containing text, the book is easy to navigate and would make a superb
addition to both school and home libraries.
Now excuse me - I'm off to do some serious multicultural perusing. Great stuff.
Title: Paris / London / Rome / New York
Publisher: Lonely Planet, $19.99
Publication
Date: September 2011
ISBN: 9781742205007 / 9781742204994 / 9781742204987 / 9781742204970
Format: Laminated soft cover
For
ages: 7+
Type: Information BookTitle: The Travel Book
Publisher: Lonely Planet, $19.99
Publication
Date: October 2011
ISBN: 9781742204963
Format: Hard cover
For
ages: 7+
Type: Information Book