Storybook Travels: From Eloise's New York to Harry Potter's London, Visits to 30 of the Best-Loved Landmarks in Children's Literature (Paperback)

by Colleen Dunn Bates (Author), Susan La Tempa (Author)
Key Phrases: storybook travels, great gray bridge, little red lighthouse, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
?An approach to family travel that keeps the child alive in all of us, and in the process helps us to understand the history, the meaning, the mythology, and the mystery of these very special storybook places.? ?Peter Greenberg, travel editor, The Today Show
-- Review

Product Description
In their imaginations, children travel the world when they read such books as Madeline, A Bear Called Paddington, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Little House on the Prairie. Make these imaginary journeys a reality for your children with visits to the actual settings of these and dozens more of the best-loved tales in children’s literature. Storybook Travels is the ultimate guide for book-loving parents in search of vacations the whole family will enjoy. Let Storybook Travels be your family’s companion on unforgettable excursions, including:

A magical walk through London looking for the mysterious spots young Harry frequents in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

A fun-filled visit to the Plaza Hotel in New York City, reliving the charmed existence of Eloise

A busy day in the tiny Tuscan village of Collodi, watching a puppet show, exploring a hedge maze, and enjoying other activities in homage to The Adventures of Pinocchio

A scenic trek following the same trail created by Brighty the Burro, a real-life hero whose story is told in Brighty of the Grand Canyon

A wonderful sojourn in Paris and surrounding areas, visiting museums, eating at typical French cafés, and spotting the famous water lilies at Monet’s home in Giverny, all celebrated in Linnea in Monet’s Garden

An afternoon of barbecue and music at the Chicago Blues Festival, in the imaginary company of Yolonda and her harmonica-playing little brother, the stars of Yolonda’s Genius

With itineraries for more than thirty locales in North America and Europe, Storybook Travels explores destinations near and far, rural and urban. Whether you want to plan a trip that will mean as much to you as it will to your children (or grandchildren), are looking for ways to enrich already-planned trips, or want to bring to life the fondly remembered books of your own childhood, Storybook Travels is your guide to one enchanting journey after another.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (June 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 060980779X
• ISBN-13: 978-0609807798
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #253,022 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous guide to family literary travel, July 21, 2002

By	audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Thirty international locales from books aimed at 3- to 13-year olds are described. Each descriptive chapter includes a few sentences summarizing the overarching experience (with location and age information); a one to two page summary of the book; several pages relating an actual visit by an adult(s) and child(ren); and, one to several pages detailing the specific location(s) involved, including names, addresses, phone numbers and web sites. Also included are a list of twenty-five other literary travel possibilities, including Call of the Wild and Peter Pan, and an index to titles.

The books and sites included are:

The Adventures of Pinocchio, Tuscany, Italy
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hannibal, Missouri and environs
And Now Miguel, Taos, New Mexico
Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada
A Bear Called Paddington, London, England
The Black Stallion, Belmont Park, Long Island, New York
Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Child of the Owl, San Francisco, California
Eloise, New York City, New York
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, Haarlem Amsterdam and environs
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, London, Windsor and Durham, England
Heidi, Graubunden, Switzerland
Hill of Fire, Paracutin Volcano, Michoacan, Mexico
Island of the Blue Dolphins, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California

Kidnapped, Isle of Mull, Scotland
Linnea in Monet's Garden, Paris and Giverny, France
Little House on the Prairie, De Smet, South Dakota
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, New York City
Little Women, Concord, Massachusetts
Madeline, Paris, France
Make Way for Ducklings, Boston, Massachusetts
Maybelle the Cable Car, San Francisco, California
Paddle-to-the-Sea, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Hamelin, Germany
Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Portland, Oregon
Song of the Swallows, San Juan Capistrano, California
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Lake District, England
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963, Birmingham, Alabama
Yolonda's Genius, Chicago, Illinois

You can tell moms wrote this book. It's entertaining AND practical. The material is fascinating, well written, and tells you everything you could want to know (except maybe where the bathrooms are located). The contact information makes this an invaluable resource. I hope the authors will continue to write more of these wonderful family travel guides.

Highest recommendation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Traveling fun, June 8, 2002

A Kid's Review

This was a great book if you ever wanted to visit all the great places you have read about. A visit to Harry Potters Castle will hopefully be the highlight of my visit to London. My first visit was to Eloise's Plaza and I LOVED seeing her picture and all the spots she talked about. This book gives 28 other wondeful places to go. It is a handy reference guide to those of you who LOVE to travel like our family does!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for all parents, grandparents and kids, June 16, 2002

By A Customer

"Storybook Travels" is an easy read; so well written and interesting. Each chapter is devoted to a children's classic and related locale; easy reference when checking out books to read and travel destination possibilities.

Every parent and grandparent should have this book for ready reference. Traveling ideas and tips for traveling with children are invaluable. And for many, the identified books will help them know what their children should be reading.

Children's librarians and teachers should also have this book on their reference shelf. Children's storytime tellers could use this book to augment their presentation of these classics. Real world experiences help the young reader relate to the written word.

Hopefully, these authors will continue their travels to acquaint us with today's locations of more children's books, young adult and adult books. Traveling can only be enhanced if one can match the real world with the literary world.