Meet Dodsworth

Dodsworth is a new character name in children's books to me... kind of a neat way to introduce children to the big cities in the world!

Egan, Tim.
Dodsworth in New York.
October 2009 (September 2007).
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Dodsworth wakes up one morning and decides he's ready for an adventure!

Dodsworth wanted adventure.
He wanted to fly in a plane.
He wanted to sail on a ship.
He wanted to see the world.
But first, he wanted breakfast.

Little to Dodsworth's dismay, his trip to Hodge's Cafe is definitely going to set him on the right path for experiencing adventure, as Hodges' duck decides he needs some adventure, as well! This book will serve as a perfect introduction to New York City for children unfamiliar with the thriving city and all that it has to offer! It touches briefly upon introducing many different landmarks, all the while sharing a story that is funny and will be attractive to children! During Dodsworth's adventure through New York City with the duck, children will become familiar with the subway, Yankee Stadium, Wall Street and the Brooklyn Bridge, a few among the many mentioned landmarks. This book would make a perfect gift for families that are planning a trip to NYC and would make for a great read-aloud or just a book to read (in the car or plane) on the way there! Just when children might think the end of the book is drawing near, they're in for a surprise as they discover Hodges' duck isn't ready for the adventure to end...

Egan, Tim.
Dodsworth in London.
November 2009.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Well, I haven't yet read the second book in the series, Dodsworth in Paris, but from what I can gather, it picks up where Dodsworth in New York left off... with Dodsworth and the Duck arriving in Paris. I can only make the assumption that as Dodsworth prepared to leave Paris and made a phone call to Hodges', the Duck decided he still wasn't ready to call it quits on his adventure and that's how the pair has now ended up in London!

As children pick up this third book in the Dodsworth series, you can be certain they'll be learning about British culture, crumpets and tea and all! From trips to Buckingham Palace via the famous red, double decker bus, your children will be eager to travel on an adventure of their own to really discover London in person! I think these books are highly educational (in a basic sort of way), exposing children to bits and pieces of different cultures and all the while encouraging them to do even more research about these well-known cities around the world!

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.