Books to Inspire Wanderlust
Kid Version
My husband and I have a shared love for travel. We have been on countless big adventures with one another and it is one of our favorite things to do together. We both love to see new places and explore all they have to offer. When our daughter was born over 5 years ago, many shared the sentiment that life stops when you have a child. No more big adventures. Well, we didn’t buy that. We continued to travel, daughter in tow, and simply adjusted our expectations and itinerary around her needs. We moved at a slower pace, “did” less, and built in ways to entertain our daughter. As a baby, she spent hours in the carrier while we explored Torino, Milan, and Lake Como. As a toddler, she played at playgrounds in Strasbourg, Metz, and Paris and stretched her legs on quiet streets. She napped on planes, in strollers, and in the carrier in Italy, France, and Germany. We did what we had to do, to make it work for us and for her.
Fast forward to now, and she is no longer a baby. So no more carrier and train naps. She is also no longer a toddler, so no more easy entertainment like walking down a quiet street. We know we want to continue to travel and help her build a love for travel too. We want her to grow up with eyes open to our big, diverse world and in awe of the beauty all around us. We have found, the best way to build the foundation is through exposure. Continuous and intentional exposure to things outside of our existence in the suburbs of Denver. So, we talk about travel, check out library books about other countries, say any tiny phrase or word we may know in another language, look at pictures, and eat all the fun ethnic food around town. Before a specific trip, we will also “study” our destination with picture books, movies, and anything we can get our hands on. If she is exposed to a country/landmark/person/country, she is more likely to engage in the sightseeing on the trip making it more enjoyable for her and for us! Win-win!
So, I have compiled a list of some of our favorite, wanderlust inspiring materials for young kids. Most are ones we have had or borrowed before, with the exception of a couple (which are on my list to purchase). I hope it gives you a little inspiration to bring the adventure home! While most links are to Amazon, I always love checking the library, thrift stores, or local bookstores first. Happy reading!
**Click on the title and it will take you to the item.
Paris Hide and Seek by Masumi and Anita Conrade
This is a beautiful book and a favorite in our collection. It illustrates sights and neighborhoods throughout Paris with whimsical imagery and a loveable boy (Theo), dog (Potchi), and a balloon to find on every page.. Each spread also includes a bit about each location and is a fun way to “see Paris” with your kiddo. A definite favorite of ours and our daughter.
Where is Claris? In Paris: A Look and Find Book by Megan Hess
We don’t personally own this book, but the reviews state the images are beautiful, whimsical, and perfect for anyone who loves Paris! We love books that are beautiful and interactive. This one is currently sitting in my cart for our Paris-loving fancy girl.
Usborne is a great resource for a number of travel related books. We picked these up at a bookstore in London and love the interactive nature of the books. Again, plenty to see, major landmarks included, and a bit of information for the slightly older child. Sticker books are also a favorite of ours for travel entertainment.
No Nancy No by Alice Tait
This is another favorite in our house. We picked this book up a few years ago in London. It is a cute story of a cheeky girl named Nancy and her lovable little dog, Roger. They visit a number of London landmarks, getting into a bit of trouble in the process. It combines famous landmarks of London, seek and find elements, and interactive flaps.
This is another book we don’t personally own yet (although it also is sitting in my Amazon cart at the moment). This one is for the slightly older kiddos who love facts! It is full of beautiful pictures, maps, and information for countries around the world. Our daughter is very into audio guides and learning facts, so this will be a great one for her!
These pop-up books are simple and colorful. We purchased the Paris version before our trip last year and it was a great way to introduce major landmarks and other culturally significant things to our daughter. There isn’t much in the way of information, but it is colorful and perfect for younger kids. They also have a New York and London version available.
Paris Pop-Up by Ehrhard Dominiq
The second pop-up book we ordered before Paris was this one. This one has more elaborate and realistic images of the landmarks, includes more of the major landmarks, and has a good overview of each building featured. Our daughter ended up enjoying this one more because it was more extensive. The information was a bit much for her age, but still great! We purchased from Amazon, but listings for it come and go depending on availability. Linked to the Target listing above.
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
We love a good classic. Throw in one of our favorite cities and we are in. I still have the copy I owned as a kid, which is the one we read at home. A cute story about little Madeline and her life in Paris with the illustrations taking you all around the city.
This series includes 16 books covering a variety of cities including New York, London, Ireland, Paris, Rome, and Greece. This travel series was written between 1959 and 1974 and has recently become popular again. We first saw a few of these at Crate and Barrel. Great story, beautiful illustrations, and a great way to introduce a city or country to a kiddo.
The Curious Adventures of Atlas - Germany by Chelsea Roach
This is one of our newer books purchased for our upcoming trip to Germany. Atlas goes on an adventure to Germany and learns about the food, everyday phrases in German, and the culture. An easy story to read and learn a little bit in the process.
This is a popular series in schools (and at book fairs). The series does a great job of exploring a topic and presenting information in a straightforward and engaging way. This series includes places like the Great Wall of China, Grand Canyon, Great Pyramids, Mount Everest, and many more.
This is a similar series to the Where is? Series mentioned above. This series explores famous figures from all over the world including 200 different people, from historical to present day. These are a great way for slightly older kids to get information about someone from just about anywhere in the world. We purchased the Mozart book for our upcoming trip and it has endless fun facts for our 5 year old. It is written in short chapters with a story like feel, which definitely makes it approachable.
My Diwali Light by Raakhee Mirchandani (Author), Supriya Kelkar (Illustrator)
This book was in the library around the time of Diwali. We loved reading this cute story, full of colorful illustrations, and little bits of information about the celebration of Diwali. Our daughter loved this one and asked to read it over and over. Highly recommend it!
Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Another library book we loved. Don’t you love libraries? This one explores two pen pals writing to one another from across the world. They share aspects of their life such as their room, home, family, etc. with one another. The story tagline of “same, same, but different” shows the way we are connected all around the world even when it doesn’t always appear that way. Loved the little connections made throughout the story.
This isn’t a book, but we purchased a 6 month subscription for our daughter for Christmas and I have been impressed with the monthly offerings. The initial box includes a world map, introduction to three characters, a suitcase to keep everything in, and activities to explore the world. Each month brings a new topic. Topics have included food, oceans, space, and animals. Each month includes ways to explore the topic throughout the world, information, activities, and more. A great way to introduce various topics to your kiddo. Food was a favorite in our house! Once your child turns six, the box explores a different country each month. They also have a science subscription, animal subscription, and food subscription if your little one is more interested in one of those.
This is also not a book, exactly. The Yoto player is a screen free audio player for your kiddo. It is easy to use and has endless cards available to purchase and use with your audio player. This has been a staple in our house since it was purchased over a year ago. Our daughter listens to this every night when she goes to bed. Their collection includes a number of story cards in Spanish and French (and a few other languages), as well as cards to start kids learning words in French and Spanish. We love the variety of stories they offer and the range. They have content suitable for older kids too. The link on the title will take you to the audio player section of the website. This LINK will take you to their selection of language cards.
This is by no means an all inclusive list and I am always looking for more ideas. Any favorites you have at home?
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About the Content Creator:
Lana is a Franklin, IN native who currently resides in the Denver area. She is a former social studies teacher and current family and newborn photographer serving families in the south Denver area. She loves the way photography makes time stand still, just for a moment, and regularly fills her home with her favorite images. Lana spends her time with her husband and daughter exploring all the Foothills and Denver have to offer. You will often find the three of them traveling the US, the world, or at least planning their next big adventure together. Their recent trips include Paris, Italy, London, and Hawaii with Germany and Austria up next. Lana also loves to cook/bake, stay fit, and cozy up with a good book and if time weren’t an issue, you would find her doing those things in abundance.
Follow @lanamarietravel on Instagram for travel inspiration/wanderlust or shop travel prints at www.lanamariephoto.com (including the images on this post).
