Traveling with Books

Disclosure: I was sent these books to review free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.

Do you enjoy traveling? Ever wonder what it would be like to raise children in another country? Want to teach your kids about the world and other cultures? Or perhaps you have a big trip coming up and need to figure out what to pack? Well today I am sharing books that do all these things. These books are for different ages. Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing a book that compared Asian parenting to American parenting. Today I am sharing a book that looks at parenting from Paris to New York. It is Say Bonjour to the Lady by Florence Mars and Pauline Leveque. 

This book compares the French lifestyle with the American lifestyle in a fun way. Each page shows how something is typically done in France and how it is typically done in the US. It covers everything from schedules, family rules to beaches and more. 

Both authors were raised in France and now live in New York. They compare their own childhoods with their children's. In France it appears children are expected to be seen and not heard, not to interrupt and to follow the parents schedule. In America many parents explain things to their children, schedule (and perhaps overschedule) their children and run their lives by the kids' schedule and always have time to listen.

It is a fun look at the differences and an easy read. 

Do you have a big trip to get ready for? Perhaps your first trip across the ocean or country?  Our next book is perfect for the nervous traveler. It is How to Pack by Hitha Palepu. This book goes through everything to think about when packing for a trip. It goes through even how to wash your clothes in a hotel room. It includes checklists for what to bring and various forms and lists to help you decide. There is even a section comparing folding versus rolling clothes and more. Yes, this book has it all for anyone needing to pack. Much of it is basics that people who pack regularly probably know, but for those going on a special trip or packing for the first time, this is a great resource. 

One of my favorite childhood memories is my family's trip across the country. I remember seeing the Grand Canyon. I remember setting up the camper at the campsite near the Grand Canyon as well. It is a place I want to take Hazel some day. Until that day however we have Jason Chin's Grand Canyon to learn about this amazing natural wonder. This book gives the details from the ecology to the animals and the history and so much more. It talks about the fossils and how canyons are formed. The illustrations are beautiful and very informative.

At the end of the book there is even more details about the rocks and science of the canyon.  It is a beautiful book and shares the beauty of the Grand Canyon as best can be shared in a book and not in person. 

Our next book is Let's Celebrate Holi by Ajanta Charkaborty and Vivek Kumar and edited by Janelle Diller.  This book takes the reader along on a trip to India during Holi. The brother and sister are visiting their cousin who explains all about Holi--the festival of colors. There are fun stories as well as activities for the travelers. It goes into many details about how the festival is celebrated in different parts of India and gives a bit of history of the festival. I found reading this book taught me a lot about the festival and I really enjoyed reading it. 

So today's books will help you travel either in real life or virtually through books. I hope you will check them out!! I know we enjoyed them.