Istanbul_ The Collected Traveler_ An Inspired Companion Guide - Barrie Kerper [55]
Forgotten Fire, by Adam Bagdasarian (Laurel Leaf, 2002). Drawing from his great-uncle’s real-life experiences—and definitely for older readers—Bagdasarian relates the story of a well-off Armenian family and the death and tragedy that befall them.
The Most Incredible, Outrageous, Packed-to-the-Gills, Bulging-at-the-Seams Sticker Book You’ve Ever Seen (Klutz Press, 1997). For ages four and up, and winner of a Parents’ Choice Award, this is a lifesaver for those in-between moments in travel—at an airport, on a plane, in a hotel room, in a car. Klutz publishes many unique, fun activity packages that are also great for traveling, including Road Trip Trivia, Kids Travel, and A Super-Sneaky, Double-Crossing, Up, Down, Round & Round Maze Book; browse many more cool titles at klutz.com.
The Odyssey, by Adrian Mitchell and illustrated by Stuart Robertson (A Retelling for Young Readers, DK Classics, 2000). As much of the Odyssey takes place in present-day Turkey, this is a great, fully illustrated volume to bring along (and it’s perfectly fine for adults, too).
People, by Peter Spier (Doubleday, 1988). Caldecott Medalist Spier created this wonderful picture book with a global view, depicting people in their habitats and cities on all four continents. Required reading for every American.
The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War, by Emily Little (Step-Into-Reading, Random House, 1988). For young kids who are reading chapter books.
Turkey (Grolier, 1997). This is a great volume in Grolier’s Fiesta! series, celebrating special occasions in countries throughout the world. Though aimed at younger readers, each book is a good summary for older readers as well. The Birth of the Prophet, Kurban Bayramı, Iftar meal, Şeker Bayramı, and Aşure Günü are all featured in this edition, as well as a page on Atatürk—every year, on November 10, there is a moment of silence to honor the anniversary of his death.
What You Will See Inside a Mosque, by Aisha Karen Khan (Skylight Paths, 2003). Though Skylight published this for children—it follows What You Will See Inside a Synagogue (2002)—it’s actually a book that is great for adults, too. (Plus, it’s written by a fellow Hollins University alumna.)
Zeynep, the Seagull of Galata Tower, by Julia Townsend (Çitlembik, 2003). A tour of Istanbul in a picture book, available from Nettleberry, a great South Dakota-based distributor of books in Turkish and others about Turkey. Browse the Internet company’s other books for kids at Nettleberry.com (see Miscellany, page 566).
In addition to books to read, a blank journal is great for kids of all ages, boys and girls. Let them pick out some colored pencils, pens, crayons, markers, or paints and they can begin creating a record of their trip on the first day. Encourage them to collect postcards, ticket stubs, receipts, stamps, and all kinds of paper ephemera to paste inside the journal. Give them a disposable camera and they can add their own photographs, too.
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning a letter to the editor I read a few years ago in the travel section of The New York Times. The writer stated she felt that the author of a previously published essay underestimated the impact of a five-year-old child’s first trip to Europe. She emphasized that twenty years after her first trip to Italy, she became an art student, earned her master’s degree in art history, and worked as a museum curator. My personal experiences in traveling with children have taught me that one should never underestimate how much children will absorb and retain and what will inspire and enthuse them.
On Foot to the Golden Horn, by Jason Goodwin (Picador, 2003). Though Goodwin doesn’t say so, it’s hard not to think he wasn’t inspired by two books about a similar trek, A Time of Gifts: On Foot to Constantinople (1977) and Between the Woods and Water (1986), both by Patrick Leigh Fermor (New York Review of Books in paperback and originally published by John Murray).