Travel Game Book

Tad and his aunt Hattie take an imaginary trip to Hong Kong.

Armed with a globe, an illustrated almanac, and their imaginations, Tad and Aunt Hattie play the travel game. They ride elephants in India, escape deadly piranhas in the Amazon River, and hail a water taxi to visit the beautiful boat city of Hong Kong—all without leaving the apartment above the family tailor shop in Buffalo, New York. This funny, affectionate story is based on author John Grandits’s own childhood experiences. The charming and highly detailed illustrations will keep children entranced through multiple readings and encourage them to play their own version of the travel game.

Children's Literature

As the title suggests, this is a story revolving around imaginary travel using a globe, a pictorial almanac and lots of imagination. Young Tad and his extended family live in apartments above the family tailor shop in Buffalo, NY. Only Tad's father and Grandma do not work in the business. Dad is a printer by trade and Grandma does all the cooking. Pages 8 and 9 list seven items for the main meal, which is served at midday. Tad really enjoys playing the travel game with Aunt Hattie, but does not like the fact that it is usually used as a ploy to get him to take a nap. One day Tad makes up his mind that he will not fall asleep. He spins the globe and his finger points to Hong Kong. They open the almanac and find fascinating pictures that are totally different from Buffalo, as they have reached the boat city of Aberdeen. Since they do not have a boat, they hire a water taxi and set out for a white pagoda owned by Aw Boon Haw, the inventor of Tiger Balm. Of course they have many adventures along the way. Soon it grows dark and Hong Kong is aglow with neon light. Tad struggles to remain awake and promptly thinks about the piranhas from a previous game. However, Aunt Hattie is "snoring very softly," so Tad tucks her in and hurries back to work in the tailor shop. The finely detailed illustrations of acrylic, watercolor, and ink harmonize well with both the actual and imaginary worlds of the story. Put this on the priority list and see how much children will really enjoy this fine tale. Reviewer: Sylvia Firth