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Berlin: Stadtführer für Kinder
Unusual book
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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7 people want to read
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December 18, 2016
We found Berlin - City Guide for Children by Joscha Remus late during stay in Berlin, in the rather good Berlin Story, which has a decent selection of English language books about Berlin and Germany generally, most of it non-fiction. We did get to try out one of the suggested walks, and found that it is was just right in length and interest for a younger traveller.
The book starts out with a brief but informative history of the city of Berlin. There are quirky details that kids might not pick up elsewhere, and the cute illustrations make what is being read even more interesting. This section also makes a point of marking which of the walks later in the book will give more information on particular topics, so you can follow up, on foot if you like, anything that takes your fancy.
There are six walks described in the book. Each starts with a simple map (probably best not to rely on this exclusively if you don't know the area at all), and a listing of what public transport will get you to the starting point. It then walks you around the route, with questions for younger readers/tourists such as 'What does your dream island look like? And what would you call it?' for Peacock Island and 'Can you imagine why the artist Cales Oldenburg also tied a cloud into this package?' for the sculpture 'The Houseball'. While the walks do try to make the areas interesting from a child's point of view, they are definitely not dumbed-down and adults can learn a lot of interesting facts and stories if they read along as well!
At the end of the book there are suggestions of further things to do in Berlin, with activities and attractions grouped by theme such as 'Berlin panorama' and 'Ship trips'. This is a great idea if your children have a specific interest, or you are keen on having an organising principle for your travels. And there is an index at the very end which is always helpful.
This is a great book that strikes just the right tone of not being dumbed down but light-hearted enough that young readers and travellers will be interested in what they are reading, and ready to head out and explore the fascinating city of Berlin. And it makes a great souvenir once you are home! I have been having trouble finding places to get the English language version outside of Berlin itself, but you could always contact the publisher directly. There is also a Vienna Guide, and I hope that Picus will expand to include more cities in this series.
The book starts out with a brief but informative history of the city of Berlin. There are quirky details that kids might not pick up elsewhere, and the cute illustrations make what is being read even more interesting. This section also makes a point of marking which of the walks later in the book will give more information on particular topics, so you can follow up, on foot if you like, anything that takes your fancy.
There are six walks described in the book. Each starts with a simple map (probably best not to rely on this exclusively if you don't know the area at all), and a listing of what public transport will get you to the starting point. It then walks you around the route, with questions for younger readers/tourists such as 'What does your dream island look like? And what would you call it?' for Peacock Island and 'Can you imagine why the artist Cales Oldenburg also tied a cloud into this package?' for the sculpture 'The Houseball'. While the walks do try to make the areas interesting from a child's point of view, they are definitely not dumbed-down and adults can learn a lot of interesting facts and stories if they read along as well!
At the end of the book there are suggestions of further things to do in Berlin, with activities and attractions grouped by theme such as 'Berlin panorama' and 'Ship trips'. This is a great idea if your children have a specific interest, or you are keen on having an organising principle for your travels. And there is an index at the very end which is always helpful.
This is a great book that strikes just the right tone of not being dumbed down but light-hearted enough that young readers and travellers will be interested in what they are reading, and ready to head out and explore the fascinating city of Berlin. And it makes a great souvenir once you are home! I have been having trouble finding places to get the English language version outside of Berlin itself, but you could always contact the publisher directly. There is also a Vienna Guide, and I hope that Picus will expand to include more cities in this series.
Displaying 1 of 1 review