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Summary
Summary
Offers journeys to thirty destinations throughout North America and Europe that inspired favorite tales from children's literature, including Madeline's Paris, Tom Sawyer's small-town Missouri, and Anne Shirley's Prince Edward Island.
Author Notes
COLLEEN DUNN BATES and SUSAN LATEMPA live in Pasadena and Culver City, respectively. They have worked together since Bates was the restaurant critic and LaTempa an editor at L.A. Style magazine. As freelancers, they collaborate for such magazines as Parenting and Working Mother. The two moms are coauthors of The Unofficial Guide® to California with Kids .
Excerpts
Excerpts
The Traveling Family Some Things to Keep in Mind When Planning a Storybook Travel-or Any Vacation-with Children From time to time, we have seriously questioned the wisdom of traveling with children. We remember the time, for instance, that one daughter, then five, threw up all over the carefully chosen stash of toys, snacks, and audiotapes at the beginning of a long road trip. Or the time another child, then seven, became panicky about San Francisco's traffic and noise and refused to walk another step, convinced we were all going to be hit by a runaway taxi. Or the time a nine-year-old daughter dismissed her French grilled-cheese sandwich as "disgusting" and then whined with hunger for hours. No one knows more than we do how challenging family travel can be. But no one knows more than we do how great are its rewards. Over the years, we have been fortunate enough to take regular breaks from daily life to roam North America and Europe with our families. The original motivation may have been more selfish than we'd like to admit-"I'm not going to let having a child stop me from going to Paris!"-but the results have been more rewarding than we could ever have imagined. Yes, children are most content when they are in the groove of a comfortable routine. But we've watched our children become happier and infinitely more mature as we have taken the trouble to shake up those routines. The once food-phobic child now has confidence that she will find something palatable (perhaps even delicious!) to eat wherever she goes. The once-shy early adolescent now feels at ease with everyone from a California park ranger to an Italian kid who speaks only ten words of English. The structure-obsessed child has learned not to fall apart when plans change unexpectedly. But we don't mean to suggest that you can or should travel with kids exactly the same way you'd travel with other adults. If you hope for them to have a memorable experience-and for you not to go insane-you'll plan a trip with these five guidelines in mind: 1. Less Is More Than Enough. Perhaps when you were in college you managed to cram the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Tuileries into one fun-filled Paris day. Don't even think of trying it with children. Limit yourself to one big outing a day with young children, maybe two with older kids. 2. Have a Focus. That's where Storybook Travels comes in. A day of aimless museum wandering can alienate a child in a hurry. But a trip to New York's Metropolitan Museum after reading From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler will be a wonderful adventure. When you set out with a mission that kids can get behind, everybody's likely to end up satisfied at the end of the day. 3. Give Kids a Voice. This is true whether your child is four or fourteen, although you wouldn't give a 4-year-old's voice the same weight as a 14-year-old's. For little kids, letting them decide between whether you'll take the bus or subway is plenty. Older kids can take a much more active role in planning and executing a trip. When they have a say in the decision-making, children are much more likely to engage in the travel experiences. 4. Keep Some Semblance of Routine. Even if you're sleeping in a different hotel every night, you can preserve just enough of the routines that keeps kids from falling apart. If your little one always has a nap after lunch, find a way to make that happen, even if it's a nap in the car while you drive. If your grade-schooler expects a snack at 3:30, honor that expectation. And respect the comfort item-a trip away from home is not the time to wean a child from a beloved blankie. 5. Encourage Record-Keeping. It isn't always easy, but it's worth the effort. Equip each child with a journal, a pen, and a glue stick, and set aside a little time every day for the journals. Let them decide how to fill the journal-some may draw, some may write, and some may glue in pictures, ticket stubs, and other mementos; many will do all three. The act of recording helps them process their experiences, and when memories begin to fade, a year or two later, they will treasure their journals, even if they complained about having to make them at the time. The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) by Carlo Collodi Collodi, Tuscany, Italy Tuscany is a well-known A-list destination for traveling grown-ups-but not many people know that because of the tiny village of Collodi it's also a wonderful place to take children. In the 1950s, the proud residents of Collodi built Parco di Pinocchio to honor native son Carlo Lorenzini, the author of Italy's most beloved children's book, who used his village's name for his pen name. For children (and adults) who have read the original book, Parco di Pinocchio makes an excellent day's outing. This trip is ideal for families with readers between the ages of 9 and 12, although even toddlers will enjoy the park. The Book Forget the Disney movie-Pinocchio is no adorable, cherub-faced moppet. Born in 1881, when the first in a series of Italian newspaper-serial chapters was published, he is a lanky, sharp-featured marionette carved out of a magic piece of wood by Geppetto, who is not a kindly toymaker but an old man known in the village for his silly yellow wig and his fierce temper. From the first instant, Pinocchio is a wild little monster, beginning life by kicking his new father, running away, and inadvertently getting Geppetto jailed for child abuse. And don't expect to get the warm fuzzies from Jiminy Cricket. Called the Talking Cricket in the book, he so annoys Pinocchio with his advice that in the first few pages, the impulsive puppet hurls a hammer at the cricket and kills him. The surprise was how much our kids, who've seen the Disney movie about a thousand times, enjoyed the book. True, it has many of the same characters and plot lines as the film: Pinocchio is misled by the thieving Fox and Cat, runs off to the Land of the Toys (Pleasure Island in the movie), is turned into a donkey, and is swallowed by a giant shark (a whale in the movie), in whose belly he is reunited with his father. And at the end, of course, he becomes a real boy. But the book describes (and sometimes satirizes) the rough life of Italian village peasants more than a hundred years ago, a life that seems unimaginable to today's pampered American kids. People are thrown in jail often and for little reason. Brawls, fistfights, and beatings are common. And children are expected to dote on and eventually provide for their parents, not the other way around. In fact, what finally makes Pinocchio a real boy, and a success in life, is not his schooling or work but the fact that he takes care of his aging parents (by the end the Azure Fairy has become his mother figure). Perhaps those differences add to the book's appeal for modern kids. Or, more likely, the sheer fancifulness of the story is what really captivates them. Pinocchio and Geppetto may be humble peasants, but their lives are full of magic and hair-raising adventure. In true serial fashion, every chapter details some close call, chase, fight, or reconciliation. The marionette nearly loses his life at least six times and gets into countless scrapes, typically vowing to return to school and be a good boy after each mishap. But because growing up doesn't happen overnight, it takes Pinocchio thirty-six chapters and lots of trial and error to become worthy of being a real boy. Take note that there are many, many editions of this book. Try to find an unabridged version, which is much richer in adventure and detail. If you can't find one in the United States, just wait until you arrive in Italy. Just about every bookstore and souvenir shop in Tuscany sells English-language versions of the unabridged story. The Experience Although our research had uncovered next to nothing on Parco di Pinocchio (it's almost never mentioned in English-language guidebooks), we parents knew not to expect Disney-style rides and multimedia showmanship. An American-style theme park just wouldn't make sense in this landscape of rolling forests, tidy vineyards, and Renaissance-era hilltop villages. Sure enough, Parco di Pinocchio was exactly what we grown-ups expected, a culturally uplifting place created by adults in the 1950s to honor the book, using bronze sculptures, mosaics, and other artwork created by the leading artists of the era. There wasn't a single ride or video game. And yet the kids adored it. Because they'd read the book in the days immediately preceding our outing (Erin, 10, read it on her own, and we parents read it aloud to 7-year-old Emily), the characters and stories were fresh in their minds. They raced joyfully through the gardens, stopping first at the puppet show in progress. The Italian dialogue soon sent Emily wandering to the neighboring playground to swing and climb, but her older sister was able to figure out the gist of the story from the puppets' behavior, the inflections, and the few words she could understand. She enjoyed the challenge and was pleased with herself for being so international. Next they ran into the mosaic square, whose tiled walls tell the story of Pinocchio in pictures. They picked out the main characters and events, then continued on into the mazelike garden, the heart of the park. Around each bend was a surprise. My daughters were most enchanted with the House of the Blue Fairy, a dollhouse-like structure with prismatic windows allowing glimpses into shimmering blue "rooms." Emily decided right then and there to be the Blue Fairy for the next Halloween. But their favorite feature was the huge shark's mouth (which looks more like a whale's). It's the most interactive of the sculptures?stepping-stones across water took them into its gaping mouth, and a spiral staircase took them atop his head, from which water shot forth regularly. They loved it. Running along the garden paths with them, and getting lost in the labyrinth next to them, were kids and parents from all over: a couple of Americans, a few more Brits, some Italians, and a mix of French, Germans, Belgians, and other Europeans. But their numbers were relatively few?the sculptures seemed as plentiful as the people. Crowds are clearly not an issue here. Itinerary An outing to Parco di Pinocchio can take a couple of hours or a whole day, depending on where your Tuscan starting point is. If you're staying north of Florence-say, in Lucca, a wonderful sixteenth-century walled town with fairy-tale appeal-the park should be a fairly quick drive, perhaps twenty minutes. If you're staying south of Florence, as we did, you'll have a longer drive and Florence traffic to contend with. On the map it didn't seem far from our tiny Chianti village to the equally tiny village of Collodi, but the combination of stop-and-go country roads and autostrada bottlenecks resulted in a two-hour drive each way. Although it is significant to Italians, the park is low-key by American theme-park standards, and it's not exactly on anyone's beaten path. From the A11 autostrada, take the Chiesina U. exit and follow the many (but small) signs that will lead you to the park via the midsize town of Pescia. If you're hungry, consider stopping in Pescia, where there are many more choices than in Collodi. We were quite pleased with the pizza at Del Magro, a plain little bar/café where the four of us had pizza and Pellegrino for only $10; several other nearby restaurants looked worthy. Or allow time for a sit-down meal at Osteria del Gambero Rosso (House of the Red Shrimp), Parco di Pinocchio's adjacent restaurant. Or, perhaps best of all if the weather's fine, pick up picnic fare in Pescia and have lunch at one of the many tables in the park. As you enter the ancient hillside village of Collodi, you'll see a grand building on the hillside to your right. Called Villa Garzoni, this fanciful castle is known for its ornate eighteenth-century terraced gardens, complete with strange topiary, statues of mythical beasts, and water staircases. If you have time, stop here for a spell; because of its eccentricity, it's far more interesting to kids than most gardens. A little further on lies Parco di Pinocchio. Outside the park's gate (manned by one sleepy ticket seller) is a row of souvenir stands. Skip these and head into the park, whose own shop is a little better. Once you're through the gate, pathways will guide you through the property: past Emilio Greco's sculpture Pinocchio and the Fairy, through the outdoor puppet theater and the mosaic piazza (created by Venturino Venturi), to the giant chessboard, and into the garden maze. The kids can race ahead on the paths and make the discoveries: the House of the Blue Fairy, statues of the book's many characters (the Assassins, the Crab, the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio, the Serpent), the aforementioned Giant Shark, a cool underground pirate's cave (although there are no pirates in the book), some immobile boats on water, whose connection to the book are mysterious, and a mock village that unsuccessfully attempts to remind kids of Pinocchio's village. Behind the Giant Shark is a labyrinth that's fun to brave. Parco di Pinocchio is a small place, and high-energy kids could whip through the whole place in forty-five minutes. But encourage them to slow down. Try watching the puppet show, even if the language is a mystery. Hang around the playground for a while. Linger over a game of giant chess. Stop in the little café/souvenir shop for an ice cream and a wooden Pinocchio doll. And make sure to allow time to browse in the museum?library center. Our whole family found the collection of Pinocchio-related toys, dolls, movie posters, and books fascinating (yes, Disney is well represented here). After seeing the exhibits, along with several academic treatises on the significance of Pinocchio to Italy's national identity, we began to understand the cultural significance of the little wooden boy. Excerpted from Storybook Travels: From Eloise's New York to Harry Potter's London, Visits to 30 of the Best-Loved Landmarks in Children's Literature by Colleen Dunn Bates, Susan La Tempa All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Table of Contents
Introduction |
How Storybook Travels came to be, what makes a storybook journey, and some thoughts on literary family travel |
The Traveling Family Some things to keep in mind when planning a storybook travel/or any vacation with children |
The Adventures of PinocchioCarlo Collodi |
Destination: Collodi, Tuscany, Italy |
In the tiny Tuscan village where Pinocchio''s creator lived, you''ll find the 1950s-era Parco di Pinocchio, home to a huge bronze Pinocchio and a giant whale for climbing on and into, as well as a hedge maze, a little museum, and other fanciful diversions |
The Adventures of Tom SawyerMark Twain |
Destination: Hannibal, Missouri |
The barefoot spirit of boyhood can be still be found in this small riverfront town, where kids can ride a riverboat like the ones piloted by young Sam Clemens, camp on Jackson Island, and tour the labyrinthine cave in which Tom and Becky were lost |
And Now MiguelJoseph Krumgold |
Destination: Taos, New Mexico |
The annual Wool Growers festival, a living-history hacienda museum, a church paintedGeorgia O''Keeffe, and a Rio Grande hike are among the stops for families visiting sites from this beloved book about a sheep-ranching family |
Anne of Green Gables, Other TitlesL. M. Montgomery |
Destination: Prince Edward Island, Canada |
A vacation to Prince Edward Island includes not only a visit to Green Gables National Park, but also sand-dune walks, tea with strawberry preserves, wagon rides, and an engaging musical-theater presentation of Anne''s story |
A Bear Called Paddington, Other TitlesMichael Bond |
IllustrationsPeggy Fortnum |
Destination: London, England |
As nanve little Paddington explores London, in either the chapter-book or picture-book versions of this popular series, so do we, from Paddington Station, to a night at the theater, to riding in a London cab |
Sidebar:ThePaddingtonLibrary |
The Black StallionWalter Farley |
Destination: Belmont Park, New York |
An excursion to Long Island''s Belmont Park during the early-morning exercise sessions of the world''s greatest racehorses will give children the flavor of Alec''s exciting secret midnight rides on the wild black stallion that saved his life |
Brighty of the Grand CanyonMarguerite Henry |
Destination: Grand Canyon |
National Park, Arizona Brighty the burro, who as a famous real-life national park character at the turn of the century, lives on at the Grand Canyon, where kids can see the trail he created, take the mule ride to his haunts, and look down at the bridge he (along with President Theodore Roosevelt) helped inaugurate |
Sidebar:Horses, Horses Everywhere Child of the OwlLaurence Yep |
Destination: Chinatown, San Francisco, California |
A streetwise twelve-year-old Chinese-American girl who is sent to live with her grandmother is our guide to San Francisco''s Chinatown circa 1964, where she encounters (as we might) neon on a rainy night, dim sum restaurants, and Hong Kong martial arts movies EloiseKay Thompson |
Illustrated by Hilary Knight Plaza Hotel, New York City |
Whether you stop by for tea or spring for an overnight stay, people-watching at the Plaza (with the cooperation of staff members who gallantly play along) might result in the spotting of the fashionable lady with the dog, or the frazzled room-service waiter or-quick-wasn''t that Eloise herself? |
Sidebar: Stuart Little''s New York City |
From the Mixed-Up FilesMrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and E. L. Konigsburg |
Destination: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City |
When Claudia runs away from home, she does it in style, inviting her younger brother along and selecting the Metropolitan Museum for their new home |
Their live-in adventures enliven Renaissance beds, Egyptian tombs, and medieval armor halls for young-reader visitors |
Hans Brinker or the Silver SkatesMary Mapes Dodge |
Destination: Haarlem, Amsterdam, and nearby villages, The Netherlands |
Seldom has a country been as carefully and fully detailed in fiction for the young reader as in this quaintly entertaining book, whose young characters skate through a landscape of windmills, villages, churches, and canals-a landscape that is preserved today in Holland''s open-air museums |
Sidebar: More Dutch Treats Harry Potter and the Sorcerer''s Stone, Other TitlesJ. K. Rowling |
Destination: London, Windsor, and Durham, England |
A child''s tour of London, nearby Windsor, and the northern city of Durham will gain richness and a bit of mystery with some Harry Potter sleuthing |
Search for Platform 9 3?4 at King''s Cross Station, and get a feel for Hogwarts on a tour of Eton, the historic boarding school, or on a visit to magnificent Durham Cathedral, which served as Hogwarts in the feature film |
Sidebar: Harry on Audio HeidiJohanna Spyri |
Destination: Maienfeld, Switzerland |
A footpath up the mountain leads past cheese huts and meadows (where goatherds are sometimes seen) to a high mountain hut not unlike Alm Uncle''s in the Swiss village of Maienfeld, where Spyri lived and set her heartfelt tale |
Hill of FireThomas P. Lewis |
IllustratedJoan Sandin |
Destination: Paracutin Volcano, Michoacßn, Mexico |
This easy-reader novel about a young Mexican boy''s amazing experience as a witness to the birth of a volcano is based on a true story |
Visitors to the volcano, Paracutfn, can see the ruins of the church and easily imagine Pablo''s surprise in the village where nothing had ever happened before Island of the Blue DolphinsScott O''Dell |
Destination: Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California |
Present day visitors to the islands where Karana the Indian girl lived alone for eighteen years will find themselves on a wonderful boat and walking trip through a wildlife preserve where they''ll be surrounded by the birds, otters, and dolphins she turned to for companionship |
KidnappedRobert Louis Stevenson |
Destination: Isle of Mull, Scotland |
Although it''s now liked by ferry to the mainland, the Isle of Mull still conveys the awe-inspiring isolation that awaited the kidnapped, shipwrecked young hero who landed there in Stevenson''s adventure story |
Sidebar:Castles and Moors |
Linnea in Monet''s GardenChristina Bjork |
IllustratedLena Anderson |
Destination: Paris and Giverny, France |
Follow the art-loving young Swedish girl, Linnea, to Paris''s Left Bank, the Marmottan Museum |