The Adventures of Bella and Harry: Visit Barcelona..... Visit Venice..... Visit Rome... (Review and Giveaway)

The world is a big place and full of cultural diversity and interesting sights to see. Children need to learn about this wondrous world - the civilizations, the history, the peoples, the climates, the geography, and the food. Well, author, Lisa Manzione and illustrator, Kristine Lucco will bring the world to your door step courtesy of Bella and Harry.

About the series: The Adventures of Bella & Harry is a picture book series that chronicles the escapades of a pup named Bella, her little brother Harry and their family, who travel the world exploring the sights and sounds of new, exciting cities. The “Bella & Harry” series is intended to be an informative, interactive and exciting way to introduce children to travel, different countries, customs, history and landmarks with the educational value of this book cleverly disguised amidst dozens of illustrated pages which are sure to win the hearts of young readers.

First stop today is Venice:  

I think “Let’s Visit Venice” is probably my favorite of all the Adventures of Bella & Harry books. I simply love the illustrations and the story line. There is so much to explore and the two Chihuahua siblings and “their children” explore it all.

The factoids are explained satisfactorily for the young age group for which the book is intended. The illustrations, bright, bold, and definitive are entertaining as well since they capture the essence of the two little dogs.

This entertaining and educational book does a good job of introducing the reader to Italy and hence Venice and all that the lovely, historic city encompasses. Not too much information, but enough.

Next stop is Rome! 

In “Let’s Visit Rome” we are still in Europe and specifically still in Italy.  Italy is so packed with significant history, that Bella and Harry are bound to learn a lot as well as “their children.”  The story begins with Harry dressed as and pretending to be a gladiator. Then we get a picture and some factoids about Roman gladiators from long-ago history.

Bella and Harry visit the famous Roman buildings and areas such as the Colosseum and  Palatine Hill that overlooks the Roman Forum.

But Rome is not all history. It is today and today’s food.  There is also the Trevi Fountain in which they splashed a bit.

This is another in the enjoyable series of Adventures of Bella and Harry books and filled with entertaining goodies.

But there are more places to visit today and next we're going to go to...Barcelona: 

Just as Rome and Venice are in Italy and part of Europe, Barcelona is in Spain and is part of Europe. Barcelona sits on the edge of Spain bounded by the Mediterranean. Keep in mind that Italy is a “boot” and surrounded by the Mediterranean. So Rome, Venice, and Barcelona are all situated in fairly close to each other.

In Bella and Harry’s visit to Barcelona, they first of all encounter some of the art of the city and the famous church, Sagrada Familia.

The illustrations of the Barcelona book are vivid and strong as usual for Bella and Harry books, but they seem to have a type of surrealism.   As in all of the Bella and Harry books, there is a list of words using the language of the city/country and the English equivalent.

As Chat With Vera's readers already know, I love it when a young child's book is entertaining as well as educational. There is such a dearth of instruction in the schools and text books today, that children are not gaining knowledge of the world in which they live, where countries are located, what country is neighbor to another, what the cultural aspects of the population is, what the land mass is, and if it is dissected by rivers or surrounded by water. It is sad. But there are some books on the market that you can use to enlighten and bring the world home to your special child. Recently, I reviewed some books that are a great introduction to social studies and cultures. Then I also reviewed two very large books of maps (or atlas) featuring pictures of the history, peoples, animals, land formations, etc. Chat With Vera wants children to learn about their world.

Now to travel with Bella & Harry ... got your passport?

Each of these books is beautifully printed in bold colors and hardbound. They have a map that positions the city you're visiting. You learn about the famous buildings, rivers. You see what they eat, what they wear. There are a few words in the back in the language of that city/country with their meaning. And the illustrations are a real joy.

GIVEAWAY: This will make a wonderful gift for that special child in your life. Use the Rafflecopter entry form and let's see who can win a living room-travel-set for a child. All 3 of these books to one winner! Begins April 18  & ENDS May 19 @ 12:01 a.m. ET. Open to USA mainland addresses only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the author & illustrator: Lisa Manzione, Author - The Bella and Harry series of children's books is Lisa Manzione's first foray into children's fiction writing. As a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Lisa's entrance into the field of literature is one she has eagerly awaited and is very passionate about.

The series was developed with the hope of inspiring young readers to embrace the world and encourage its exploration. Done through the comedic and informative adventures of Bella and Harry, while traveling through various countries, Lisa hopes to stimulate children's imaginations and foster a thirst for understanding the world in which they live

Kristen Lucco, Illustrator - Born in rural Pennsylvania, Kristine's passion for art began at a young age. This interest in art continued and ultimately led Kristine to study at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.

Her talent was quickly recognized as extraordinary by local designers and today, over 20 years later, Kristine's art and designs adorn walls and a myriad of other surfaces all over south Florida.