Sweet Pea and the Monkey

Lately, I’ve had France on the brain. Jenny and Andy over at Dinner, A Love Story just took their kids to Paris for a vacation and came back with beautiful photos and culinary tales, and Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom is living in France for a year with her family of eight. My friend, Michelle, and her husband are contemplating a trip to Paris next year and are trying to decide whether to take their 5-year-old son along.

All of this makes me dream of the day I can take my own kids there. I have visions of showing them the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, and Versailles. I can see us eating crusty baguettes, tantalizing cheeses, and mouth-watering pastries while strolling along the Seine. OK, so I’m sure the actual reality would not be quite so picture perfect, but a girl can dream!

Right now, I’ll have to be content with sharing French culture with my kids through books. Here are some of my favorites:

Adèle & Simon by Barbara McClintock. This beautifully illustrated story follows two siblings through their walk home from school in Paris, with many stops at familiar landmarks. Along the way, Simon loses all of his possessions one by one, much to older sister Adèle’s chagrin. It’s a fun way to introduce children to a new city and they will enjoy searching the pictures to find the lost items. The book ends with a guide to the French locations featured.

Chasing Degas by Eva Montanari. This is a favorite in our house—the story of a young ballerina who accidentally swaps bags with the painter, Edgar Degas, and searches all over Paris for him to return his paints. Along the way, she meets Claude Monet, Gustave Caillebotte, Auguste Renoir, and Mary Cassatt, who assist her in her quest. The illustrations are lovely and the story engaging. It’s a delightful way for children to learn not only about Paris, but a little art history as well.

Anatole by Eve Titus. This classic, written in 1956, tells the story of a mouse who must take food from people’s homes at night to feed his family. Tired of hearing the people speak poorly of mice, he looks for another solution and stumbles on a clever way to procure some of the best food in France while providing a valuable service to the French. He becomes a secret taster in a cheese factory and advises the company on how to improve their products! This story will charm both you and your children.

Of course, a constant presence in our house is Ludwig Bemelman’s Madeline (“in an old house in Paris that was covered with vines…”). And though we don’t own it, I’ve long admired Miroslav Sasek’s This is Paris.   

Do you have any favorite French-themed children’s books? Are your kids interested in other cultures?

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