Once Upon a Time in Great Britain: A Travel Guide to the Sights and Settings of Your Favorite Children's Stories [Paperback]

Melanie Wentz (Author)

Book Description

Visiting England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales? Don't miss Narnia, Wonderland, Hogwarts and Middle-Earth!

If you're planning a trip abroad--or just a flight of fancy into literature's best-loved magical lands--Once Upon a Time in Great Britain is a wonderful chance to read all about the creation of your favorite children's books. This book is both a practical travel guide for your family vacation to the UK, and a terrific source of armchair-travel fascination.

Each chapter covers classics such as Peter Rabbit and Paddington Bear for the youngest tourists, Alice in Wonderland, Kidnapped and The Secret Garden for the older kids, and C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books for everyone.

Read about the real chocolate factory that made such an impression on the young Roald Dahl, or the cozy pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien introduced their friends to Narnia and hobbits. Treat your kids to a visit to the real "100 Aker Wood" that helped A.A. Milne create Winnie the Pooh, or the station where Thomas the Tank Engine lives. And enjoy the many original illustrations that made the books so distinctive on their first publications.

From parents who grew up on Wind in the Willows, Mary Poppins and Peter Pan to kids who thrill to Harry Potter, Once Upon a Time in Great Britain is a must-have addition to the libraries of children-and adults-everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

And if traveling plans include England... Once Upon a Time in Great Britain: A Travel Guide to the Sights and Settings of Your Favorite Children's Stories by Melanie Wentz is the guide for young readers to get. Each chapter focuses on a single story (including Peter Pan, the Harry Potter books and E. Nesbit's The Railway Children) and offers a brief biography of the author and illustrator as well as information about the places connected with the story and how to visit them. B&w photographs appear throughout.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This first book by an Oakland writer and educator is a keeper: a good
idea, done well." --San Francisco Chronicle, 10/13/02

"Once Upon a Time in Great Britain" is a ticket to the magical places of childhood...a delightful treasury of details about the lives and landscapes of the people who created some of our most enduring children's stories....For any grownup with a child in their lives--or just a bit of childhood still lodged in their hearts--this is a guidebook sure to be
read over and over, at home and while traveling." -The Boston Globe

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (August 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312283385
• ISBN-13: 978-0312283384
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #916,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for British kid lit fans, August 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Once Upon a Time in Great Britain: A Travel Guide to the Sights and Settings of Your Favorite Children's Stories (Paperback)

This is a great book for anyone who wants to plan a trip around, or include in their trip, sights related to favorite children's books. She even includes some of the books that are not as well-known in the US such as The Borrowers, Green Knowe and Greyfriars Bobby. Double check the details before you go, however, as some things have changed since publication. For example, the exhibit of children's manuscripts at the British Library is no longer there, sadly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Armchair Travel Book, November 12, 2003

By 

Peter V. Tamas (New Brunswick area, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Once Upon a Time in Great Britain: A Travel Guide to the Sights and Settings of Your Favorite Children's Stories (Paperback)

The woods where C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien used to walk together, the coffee shop where J. K. Rowling began her work on the Harry Potter series, the house that inspired the Borrowers, the locations of The 101 Dalmatians...

It is apparent from reading this book that the author spent a great deal of time researching the topics covered. The byline indicates that she spent a year with her family exploring England and Scotland.

Fans of the books covered will enjoy the brief (1-2 page) biographies and the descriptions of the locations. This is what some call an "armchair travel" book: you can enjoy it without ever traveling to the locations.

I can't comment on the accuracy, because I have not visited any of the locations described. This is not a slick travel book brimming with pictures; it's a soft-cover printed on relatively inexpensive paper. I enjoyed the biographies and site descriptions and I'm sure there are many others out there who will as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant idea - scant execution, April 5, 2003

By 

bernie "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Once Upon a Time in Great Britain: A Travel Guide to the Sights and Settings of Your Favorite Children's Stories (Paperback)

Written by a teacher who spent a year in England and Scotland with her family visited the sights mentioned in various kids' books. Not being from that area it is fun to visit the England that you are looking for whether it is the old Roman Empire or Shakespeare. For kids this book carries you through the England and Scotland of fairytales and stories. Each site has a small blurb and a black and white sketch. There are a few monochrome photos but there is nothing consistent. It may be useful for a starting point.