Lisa Manzione

Beautiful watercolor illustrations highlight the adventures of Bella and Harry as they tour the world. Bella and Harry are two cute small dogs eager to find the best things in each city. In Let’s Visit Vancouver, they go snowboarding on Grouse Mountain, cross the Capilano Suspension Bridge 230 feet up in the forest canopy, and learn about totem poles. Then they check their map to head to Gastown to see the famous steam clock. They even see a pod of killer whales! At the end they post their photos and selfies for a fun wrap up.

Positive happy story with interesting information about the natural and historical sights along the way.… (meer)

This is a fun but fairly superficial introduction to some of the major tourist sites in Beijing. I read this aloud to my students, and they enjoyed recognizing the places they had been. Some Chinese words are used, which helps make a connection to the culture. However, I would have liked to have seen a deeper connection to the culture, or some off-the-beaten path destinations in Beijing. They only travel to some of the most touristy places, and there is no real insight into the culture.

Curricular connections: Use as a part of unit of study of China. Read aloud to students before a field trip to one of the places mentioned in the book.… (meer)