Swift Walker Journeys – Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018
When I received books from Plum Street Press, I was pleasantly surprised. Three were the size of coloring books with covers that looked just as inviting. I was even more surprised when I opened them to find they are adventures with a young man who can walk across continents, through oceans, and into outer space.
Verlyn Tarlton has created a wonderful little character, Swift Walker, who takes [image error]adventures throughout the world and into the solar system as well. In his Continental Journey, he discovers the Sahara Desert, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti and the Nile River. His response is “Amazing, huh?” and I agree because Ms. Tarlton has included information about these places about the terrain, locations of interest, and the plant and animal life that dwells within each continent as well. At the end of Swift Walker A Continental Journey, she takes the time to give us additional information on each of the seven continents.
In Swift Walker A Journey Around the Oceans, this quick young man utilizes his map skills [image error]as he skirts the oceans he is discovering bits of information about the plants and animals that inhabit the areas. Verlyn Tarlton included information at the back as well that answered several questions I had about the “Southern Ocean” that she added in Swift’s journey.
In Swift Walker A Space Adventure, Swift is “walking over the trees, straight over the clouds, and right into outer space!” As he [image error]jumps and flies through outer space, he visits each planet beginning with Mercury and discovers the properties of each as he travels throughout the solar system. As in her other books, she includes additional information at the back of the book that adds the academic spin that is a mainstay throughout all three books.
As a retired teacher, I was so pleased to see the research invested in each of these books. Verlyn Tarlton has given a great deal of thought into writing them and combined this with the kid-friendly illustrations of Norma Andriani Eka Putri and Alejandro Chamberlain.
I would highly recommend these books to be used in the classroom to introduce and reinforce science and social studies concepts. Just as an additional plus, there is a World Geography Coloring book as well available through Amazon.com
and Barnes and Noble.com
[image error]Verlyn Tarlton, a native Washingtonian, is a mother, wife, speaker, and author. She got her love of reading and writing from her late grandfather, Ethelbert W. Haskins, who was a university professor in Washington, DC. She has always been passionate about reading, writing, and teaching. She especially wants to pass on her love of reading and adventure to young children and encourage them to dream BIG!
