BENGALURU: The past 17 months have seen our children’s worlds shrink. For so many young people, their days, once filled with raucous school bus rides, classroom shenanigans, sports, art, music, dance and play, have been reduced to a series of interactions viewed through a rectangle on computers, phones and tablets. Birthdays, summer camps, extracurriculars and even just hanging out with their friends and family have become things that happen almost exclusively online.
Travel during vacations feels like a thing of the past for those of us privileged enough to afford and experience it. Travel doesn’t just give us some R&R, but also offers us a glimpse into the lives, cultures, food and languages of other people. In these times, when there’s a hesitancy to step into a plane or train, we can find ways to bring the world into our children’s lives through books. Here’s a selection of new and not-so-new books for a range of reading ages and interests that provide some armchair travelling for children.
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Shaun Tan’s wordless book, The Arrival, isn’t new but feels oddly right for the moment we are in. A nameless immigrant arrives in a strange new place having left his loved ones behind to make a life for themselves there. As we find ourselves at the shores of the new normal, the themes of fear, loneliness, confusion and longing resonate.
The Culture of Clothes: A Celebration of World Dress by Giovanna Alessio and Chaaya Prabhat
This gorgeous book is bursting with colour. Pour over the costumes, accessories and traditions of communities from countries around the world and learn something new about them. Meet the 5,000 strong Miao tribe of Guizhou, China, who wear ceremonial headdresses made mostly from human hair collected over the years. The elaborate headdresses are wrapped around a horn-shaped frame, held in place with a white ribbon and can weigh up to 4 kg.
Maps by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski
This beautifully illustrated atlas invites readers to travel the globe without leaving their living room. I think it’s a lovely companion book to The Culture of Clothes and is filled with lots of tiny details about each country that’s sure to keep curious young minds engaged.