The Travel Game

by John Grandits, R.W. Alley (Illustrator)

Tad and his aunt Hattie take an imaginary trip to Hong Kong.

Armed with a globe, an illustrated almanac, and their imaginations, Tad and Aunt Hattie play the travel game. They ride elephants in India, escape deadly piranhas in the Amazon River, and hail a water taxi to visit the beautiful boat city of Hong Kong—all without leaving the apartment above the family tailor shop in Buffalo, New York. This funny, affectionate story is based on author John Grandits’s own childhood experiences. The charming and highly detailed illustrations will keep children entranced through multiple readings and encourage them to play their own version of the travel game.

Genres: Picture Books, Travel, Geography, Family, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2006

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a globe and the book 1001 Pictures from Around the World, Tad and Aunt Hattie can play the Travel Game. So while the rest of the family goes back to work after lunch, Tad and Hattie go upstairs. Tad is determined, however, not to fall asleep at this end of this round of the Travel Game.

A celebration of family ties and imagination. A very cozy, feel-good story.

[Krista Clinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Travel Game is a story about Tad, who play the travel game with his Aunt Hattie where they spend their time imagining what it would be like to travel the world. This fiction book would be great for introducing a social studies unit where we learn about different countries in grades K-3. I would use it in a reading classroom to teach comprehension as well as new vocabulary.

[Miss Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did an after school club the month of May with traveling being the THEME. We discussed travel games we can play while in the car or airplane. This book is a story of a little boy playing a Travel Game his grandmother taught him. The use a globe and they spin it and point at the new location they are going to visit. They learn about this location and make up stories about the location.

[Rachel B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good example of active storytelling. Children learn from example and this book directly contributed to improving my preschoolers ability to collaborate on storytelling. After reading this 5...10...20 times, it clicked for her and now we are creating/telling/weaving bedtime stories together.

[Y.Poston]

very cute!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tad's family owns a tailor shop in Brooklyn. And the whole family is involved, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Tad has jobs, too - some he likes and some he doesn't. They live above the shop and everyday his grandma makes them lunch. After that his favorite aunt takes him to his room where they play his favorite game: "The Travel Game" involving a globe and a picture book featuring 1001 places in the world. After they determine where they will go, they lok at the pictures and adventure quickly follows - but usually ends somehow with Tad taking a nap...

Lovely story of a Polish-American family. Great geography and imagination theme throughout. Pretty wordy, though, so not ideal for a story-time but great for one-on-one reading time. or solo reading for a 1st grader who knows what they are doing already.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful tale that describes a very close Polish family, with Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents living together with the young boy's family; they work together, eat together an help one another. His aunt helps him settle down for an afternoon nap by playing the travel game, where they go anywhere in the world using their imagination and a book with pictures from all over. This time, they go to Hong Kong and describe the things they do and see there (some of them obviously untrue and just made up by his aunt.) It's a fun book to read aloud and the illustrations are great, too.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about a boy, Tad, who plays the Travel Game with his aunt. They spin the globe, point to a spot, look it up in a book to see some photos and then make up a great adventure...traveling to that destination in their imagination. What a fun way to teach geography and an appreciation for the worlds' cultures.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So it's cute. I like the idea that it is a game he plays with his aunt. And it sounds like a fun game ... spin the globe and stick your finger down and then imagine "visiting."

Could be a nice intro to a map unit.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice local connection. You can use many "teachable moments" when reading this book to children. For example, my son and I spun the globe and "visited" several countries. We then researched the countries online.

[Tina B · Rating 3 out of 5]

"travel, nap time, tailor shop, American immigrant family"

[Connie T.]

I read it but don't remember it. This is the sort of book that I would remember, so it must not have been remarkable.

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read about a boy who escapes to far of lands with the help of a globe. I used to do this as a kid. The best part - the author is a Buffalonian and the book is set here in town.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the author's childhood growing up with his family in Buffalo, NY. Orations of this book could be used to teach family traditions, as well as globe and atlas skills.