I’m starting to feel a little inadequate. My travel blogger friends are publishing books! Earlier this month, Going Gypsy: One Couple’s Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All hit the stands. I published a review of this book by Veronica and David James.Now, my favorite travel blogging long haired chihuahua, Montecristo, is out with his first book: Montecristo Travels to Pisa. He had a little help from his biped mother, Sonja Lishchynski (who also helps him with his blog), and illustrator, Allison MacAlister.
As some of you might remember, I first met Montecristo and his people IRL (in real life) when I traveled to Canada for a travel blogging conference and invited myself to visit them in Ottawa. (They even published a blog post about my visit. They spelled “Boomeresque” wrong, but, hey, we’re all human mammals and we all make mistakes.)
Montecristo and Sonja (right) took me to Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (Photo credit: Random Passerby)
Montecristo and his humans visited us in Brigantine, New Jersey and Philadelphia. If you’ve never seen my post about their visit, and you like cute little dogs, you should check it out here because there are photos of Montecristo in his little hoodie running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art like Rocky — as do all self-respecting visitors to Philly.
I know Montecristo, Sonja and their production team worked hard on their book. I was anxious to see the final result, so I ordered my copy of Montecristo Travels to Pisa on Amazon.com as soon as it was available. I admit I am enfatuated with very fond of Montecristo, but I can honestly say (remember, I’m a lawyer so you can trust me) this book is lovely and I wish I had some grandchildren with whom to read it. (Our son and daughter-in-law should in no way consider this inappropriate annoying pressure to reproduce. I’ll find little kids to borrow).
The story is presented in Montecristo’s voice and from his point of view—-eight inches off the ground. The book is written for the vocabulary development level of children ages 4 to 8, but it has a very engaging story line and I even learned some things I didn’t know about the leaning tower of Pisa. Allison MacAlister’s illustrations are charming and very well integrated with the text, so even a child who doesn’t yet read, will enjoy looking at the book on their own. This is a great book for parents who want to introduce their children to the concept of international travel.
Montecristo and his humans are bilingual in English and French and the book is available in paperback in both languages. In mid-March, the book will be available for e-readers, also in both English and French.
Montecristo Travels to Pisa is envisioned as the first in a series of Montecristo Travels Adventure books. For his next book, Montecristo is returning to North America to tell us about his trip to the Florida Everglades. Based on the alligators we encountered on our visit to the Everglades, I’m glad Montecristo didn’t end up as a tasty morsel because that would not be a suitable tale for young children — nor for me.
I can well imagine this being one of those books your children insist on you reading to them over and over again — until you’re ready to scream gently request that they “Let it go.” 😉 — or hurry up and learn to read it themselves.
[Boomeresque is an affiliate associate of Amazon.com. You can order your copy of Montecristo Travels to Pisa right from here. Clicking on the link will take you to the Amazon site where you can purchase the book as you would normally. However, if you initiate the transaction from here, Boomeresque will receive a tiny commission without increasing your cost.]
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Looks like a great book. I’d love to read it to my third graders~!
Please let me know how the book does in a classroom environment!
I was just in Pisa in December and both me and my boyfriend were missing our 2 little dogs. It’s inspiring to hear about someone traveling with theirs. I will have to check out the book. It sounds adorable!
I have been writing a blog on international with small dog travel for 4.5 years — the books just seemed like a good extension of that. For the little ones.
First of all, now you need to write a book:) NO…you don’t. Only do that if you really have passion for it. Second, this book sounds adorable. I have no children or grandchildren, but I still have plenty of kiddies in my life. I’m going to check it out. Love buying books that folks I know and trust recommend. And that are also different:) Thanks!
I hope you will enjoy it Jacqueline!
This book sounds great. I love the idea of a series. I have a godson coming up on four this spring. It sounds as if I have just found something to include in his birthday present.
I do hope you will leave a review on Amazon and let me know your thoughts. If you like our FB page you can send us a photo of him with the book. I would love to see that!
I hate that the book is still not available in Canada – as a Canadian author grrrr. But it is live on Amazon.com and .UK with .ca and .EU countries next once those countries approve it and all that. It is a CreateSpace thing.
Suzanne I LOVE this review! I read it to Stefan over the phone and we were giggling and chuckling the entire time. I think in time your blog could become a book. Just saying.
Thank you for the support fellow travel blogger. Means the world.
Thanks, Sonja. I wish writing a book was as easy as stringing blog posts together, but as you know—-it’s not.
Another great review, Suzanne, and I wish the best of luck to Montecristo and Sonja with their book! I don’t forget you could always read it to your little kid, Dino. Phoenix LOVED to have books read to him. When I visit Philly, after a couple of cheesesteaks, I will be looking for you to give a piggy back right up the Museum of Art steps steps 🙂
Funny you should say that, I just got sent a photo on FB of a customer with her crew of 4 dogs and her reading to them. Cutest thing ever. 🙂
Looks like a great book for kids and, judging the book by its cover, the illustrations also look like they’d be charming. What a great way to introduce kids to new and exotic places – from a dog’s point of view and near the ground perspective!
I love the concept behind this book. Cute dog, exotic places – has to be a winner. I totally understand that it is one where parents, aunties, grandparents etc will know it off by heart pretty soon. Suzanne, I may well be asking you to review our new book, Hey Baby Boomers, You’ve Earned it, Just Travel when we publish soon. It must be something in the air 🙂
Thanks, Paula. Maybe I should change the name of my blog to–“Suzanne’s Review of Books”. 😉
Back in the day, I operated a mail-order book catalogue for families–The Family Travel Guides Catalogue, in which we sold books like “Montecristo Travels to Pisa.” I love travel books for kids. I wish them great good luck with this new “baby.”
I’ve always thought there should be more travel books aimed at kids so this is a great new venture.
Wow, Suzanne, it is great that you help your fellow travel bloggers, not just with this group but also with reviews of their books! I hope you can review mine, too, when it comes out in June! You are such an angel!
I’m not sure I’ve earned any angel wings, but I’d be happy to review your book when it comes out. Congratulations.
Such a charming concept and wonderful look to this book. Congrats to Sonja and Monte! Nothing better than when you hold your book in your hand (paw).
I just clicked through to see if the ‘Look Inside’ feature of Amazon was active and it was! Wonderful for seeing a few more pages with the style of illustrations – which are gorgeous 🙂
Who can’t love a dog’s joyful perspective of the world, so this is great way to convey travel information that kids will love to hear!
Another
hystericalvery illuminating book review Suzanne! Montecristo Travels sounds like a great way to introduce children to new places before they visit. (Or a great way for grandparents to tell them about their recent vacation.) Congrats Montecristo and Sonja on your new book!I guess it’s true what they say, we all have a book in us, even dogs apparently 😉
What a cute idea! Sounds like it might be a neat holiday gift for kids!
I love Pisa! Or as my little nephew likes to call it, Pizza! It does look like the cutest book and my friends who just recently moved to Italy with the cocker spaniel will be getting this link right away. Great post, will be back soon and I think I know what my nephew is getting for christmas this year.
Nicole, he’ll love this book “Montecristo Travels to Pisa”.
I’m so envious, too, when I hear of friends publishing their own books. I guess I just gotta do it. 😀 This sounds like a fun tail. *snicker* I love Pisa too, so if I can get a copy of this, it would bring back such wonderful memories.
Aleah, *snicker* indeed!
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