Let's Visit Dublin!
The Adventures of Bella & Harry
- 2014 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Juvenile Nonfiction (Children's)
Chihuahua: the largest state in Mexico by area. Chihuahua: the smallest breed of dog by height. Bella and Harry: a sister and brother Chihuahua pair who love visiting foreign countries. This Mom’s Choice Award-winning series, The Adventures of Bella & Harry, is both educational and entertaining. These two inquisitive canines bring humor and excitement to learning about different countries and customs. Pack your passports and puppy chow for a truly bon voyage!
In their latest expedition, Let’s Visit Dublin, Bella and Harry kiss the Blarney Stone, roam the National Leprechaun Museum and Trinity College Library, and eat chocolate potato cake and apple barley pudding. The gorgeous green landscape, depicted by Kristine Lucco’s lush illustrations, makes it nearly impossible not to dream of visiting the stone castles and rocky coastline of the Emerald Isle. (You’d better dog-ear the page about Ireland’s protected cliff nesting birds in case you come across one on your foray to the island.) History, trivia, and culture are presented through the fun banter between the friendly dogs, and their charismatic personalities and imploring eyes make them lovable new travel pals.
With more than a dozen books in the series, including Paris, Athens, Barcelona, Rome, and Istanbul, The Adventures of Bella & Harry is an engaging introduction to international sights, sounds, and tastes. Having been raised by a parent who worked for an airline, Lisa Manzione has combined her love of animals with the inspiration she found traveling around the globe to create these charming children’s books. Her goal is to spark imagination and fire up curiosity, and she has certainly succeeded by suffusing these two pooches with an eagerness to learn.
In addition to the books, Bella and Harry have a website, www.bellaandharry.com, which features interactive activities, lesson plans, and videos to illumine the treasures of travel on a global scale. Match countries’ flags to images of the pups in native garb, and match foreign phrases to their English translations. Even sing along with Bella and Harry as they star in a musical that goes on tour in May. The comprehensive lesson plans for teachers, available for download on the website, ask educational questions that add to the travel-companion experience and expose young students to the foundation of a lifelong love of learning.
Thoroughly domesticated, these two Chihuahuas love to travel abroad and want to take you with them. Dive into the series and you’ll be dog-gone glad you did. Meanwhile, Bella and Harry will be off to Jerusalem: Muzzle Tov!
Reviewed by
Aimee Jodoin
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
