The Covid-19 Pandemic had squashed a lot of plans this year, especially when it comes to travel.  Good thing we still have books to take us to all the places we want to go!  This year’s Family Literacy Day theme is all about traveling the world together through books!  Check out these great picks below to start your family adventure around the world from the safety of your own home!

 

Picture Books for Shared Reading

Pig the Tourist by Aaron Blabey

What could go wrong when Pig the world’s most selfish Pug visits famous attractions around the world?  The Sphinx loses more than just a nose, the Queen's corgis are in an uproar, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa is doomed.  Travel around the world with Pig the Pug to see how this chaos comes to an end!

I Dream of a Journey by Akiko Miyakoshi

The innkeeper meets people from all over the world and loves to hear about the places they have traveled.  Each night he dreams of traveling to those places himself one day.  This book perfectly captures the feeling of wanderlust, of being curious about the world, wanting to see other places and how other people live. It could ignite intriguing conversations with children about what they long to do.

The Not-So-Faraway Adventure by Andrew Larsen

Theo loves to go through all of the pictures, postcards and mementos that her Poppa has collected over the years and wants to grow up to be an explorer just like him.  To celebrate his Poppa’s birthday Theo has planned a special adventure to a not-so-faraway place, the beach!  Learn the first rule of exploring with this book: you don't have to travel far from home to have an adventure!

The Wolf Who Wanted to Travel the World by Orianne Lallemand

Travelling can help cure boredom or at least Wolf thinks so!  Follow Wolf around the world as he visits places like Egypt, Italy, Africa and China!  Will he come back the same? 

Every Color by Erin Eitter Kono

Surrounded by all things white in the North Pole, Bear longs to see the colours of the world.  With the help of a little girl they sail around the world visiting familiar colourful landmarks from the windmills in Holland to the Statue of Liberty in New York.  After seeing the colours of the world will Bear learn to see the colours that were there in the North Pole all along?

 

Independent Readers 

Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai

After their family trip to visit his father in Singapore is cancelled, Henry Khoo plans to travel half-way around the world to prove his independence and avoid getting in trouble for writing an anonymous gossip cartoon.  This fun graphic novel is full of adventure, humor and hijinks!

The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne

Barnaby is a normal eight year old boy aside from the fact that he floats.  Being different isn’t easy especially when you have parents like Barnaby does.  When the unthinkable happens, Barnaby finds himself on an adventure around the world where he meets extraordinary people who help him to realize that being him is the best thing to be.  

For more about Family Literacy Day, visit ABC Life Literacy Canada.