Dodsworth in Paris

Dodsworth continues on his world-wide travels, this time visiting Paris!

Egan, Tim.
Dodsworth in Paris.
May 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

As Dodsworth and the duck embark on an adventure to Paris, of course they get more than they bargained for, as is typical with the duck, he finds trouble! The duo travel around to all of the different famous Paris landmarks, allowing readers to gather just the slightest bit of information about Paris and all there is to be seen!

The Dodsworth series is wonderful if you'd like your children to experience the concept of traveling abroad without all of the involved expenses! The illustrations are fun, yet mostly accurate in their detail regarding different aspects of Paris. Coupled with the illustrations, the characters (Dodsworth and the duck) are enjoyable and will likely easily engage most children. In Dodsworth in Paris, your child will be exposed briefly to:

• French language
• culture (paintings, jugglers, dancers, berets, mimes)
• French currency
• Chateau de Paris
• Eiffel Tower
• Notre Dame Cathedral
• Seine River
• Tou de France
• Louvre Museum
  
• City of Lights
  

Learning/Reading Activity:

• As you (and/or your child) read Dodworth in Paris have him/her take notes about all the different places mentioned that are related to Paris (places, culture, etc). After you have worked to come up with a list (see references above), have your child create a scrapbook of Dodsworth's Paris vacation! The activity directions can be found here!
  

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. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

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.