Zoo maps are usually the first maps that children see and learn to read. They are heavily illustrated with animals and the paths show clear directions to get from place to place. Kids learn that a map can help you to get where you want to go. Children also love the maps in zoo books […]
a to z blog challenge
Y – Are We There Yet?
Y is for Yet as in – Are we there yet? Is there any traveler who hasn’t asked that question or had to answer that question? It is a popular book topic with many sharing clever suggestions on how to make the journey more enjoyable. But, for those trips being taken through the pages of […]
X Marks the Spot
X marks the spot is a popular title. And, why not? It conjures up visions of adventure and treasure. Who would’t want to find a map marked with an X? Share these books with the children in your life and take off on a literary treasure hunt- X Marks the Spot by R. Schuyler (author) and […]
Wind in the Willows – a classic map
This map found in The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham, is one of the classic maps many of us hold dear. It was drawn by Ernest H. Shepard who also drew the map in Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. The map, however, was not in the original edition of the book written […]
V is for Vintage Maps in Children’s Books
Maps are visual art that communicates information to give us a sense of place. We read maps and we read books. And, in my opinion, books containing maps are the best kind of books. I’ve shared many maps this past month for the A to Z April Blog Challenge and I could easily go on […]
Under the Sea – mapping an unknown world
Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea; Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor by Robert Burleigh (author) Raúl Colón (illustrator) Simon & Schuster (2016) picture book biography grades Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea is a book for anyone interested in maps and map-making. It tells the story of Marie Tharp who,as a girl, loved maps. She […]
Treasure Island – the story of the map that inspired a book
I still remember the day that I opened an old copy of Treasure Island and read these words: And so begins one of the world’s greatest pirate novels with arguably the most well-known map included in a book. This is the classic adventure written by Robert Louis Stevenson, which tells the tale of the […]
R is for Redwall – a world with maps
Fantasy series are the ones that most generously include maps which enable readers immediately enter and gain an understanding of the world the characters inhabit. The Redwall series is not exception. REDWALL by Brian Jacques (author) Troy Howell (cover artist) maps drawn by different artists series began in 1986 and ended in 2011 Redwall is […]
Q is for Quilts – Leading the way to freedom
Slavery is a difficult but important topic to teach to young children. One of the best ways is to share stories featuring the amazing Freedom Quilt Maps. These quilts sewn with block patterns were displayed as signals to slaves as they set out to the north during on the Underground Railroad. Because quilts were so […]
P is for Passport, Paper Towns, and a Parade
I am always up for a trip somewhere out of the country where I can use my passport. I’ve had many passports over the years and it’s fun to look through them and see the stamps from the many places I’ve been. But, am I the only one who never likes their passport photo? In […]
To Oz! on a wonderful journey through children’s literary maps.
Today for the letter O on the A to Z Blog Challenge, we’re traveling over the rainbow and down the yellow brick road using maps of the Land of Oz. This map was created for Frank L. Baum’s 1908 play and lecture series, The Fairylogue and Radio Plays that were intended to promote the first […]
Onward and Upward to Narnia and the North
We’ve reached the Letter N on the A to Z Blog Challenge and have arrived in Narnia. I venture to say that most of you reading this little post are familiar with the maps of Narnia and the author of The Chronicles, C. S. Lewis. The art and the maps of the original The […]
Maps
I am participating in the A to Z April Blog Challenge which encourages people to write posts on a theme each day (except Sunday) with the alphabet determining each day’s topic. I am on a literary journey looking at maps in children’s books and have reached the midpoint of the challenge. I have far too […]
J is for the Journey
For me a journey begins with a map. I like to look at an overview and then the details. I like all kinds of maps – physical, political, topographical, climatic, thematic, and good old road maps. I was excited to find a series of books that celebrate journeys written by Martha Day Zschock and published […]
I is for Islands in Kid Lit Maps
Books that involve runaways and dangerous settings are magnets for young readers. Add a map and danger and you have a book that will intrigue and delight children which is why My Father’s Dragon has been in print since 1948. My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (author) and Ruth Chrisman Gannett (illustrator) […]