CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND TRAVEl IN ASIA

[smfoley]

Posted by smfoley

I'm interested in the availability of books on Thailand for children
as well as Indonesia... what to expect when they get there what
the currency is etc.... basic enculturation and enthusiastic stuff
written in kids language for the 4 -1 2 year old group
thanks

[Leslie]

Posted by Leslie on October 29, 1999 at 21:26:51:

In Reply to: CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND TRAVEl IN ASIA posted by smfoley on :

Thank-you so much for the info I read on the question regarding children and travel. I too need info on travel with 10 and 13 yr old girls to BAngkok and Hong Kong. Am trying to find magazines, and books as well as info on cultural and off the beaten track places that they would like. Thanks!

[Kyle McCarthy, Editor]

Posted by Kyle McCarthy, Editor

In Reply to: CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND TRAVEl IN ASIA posted by smfoley

Thanks for your inquiry about great books written for kids about
traveling to Thailand and Indonesia. There are not many, and most are not published in the US. However, because Australia has so much more contact with these countries, I believe a good bookstore there might be able to get them for you. They might even be able to order from Asia Books in Bangkok, one of the region's best English language bookstores.

For great advice for you, I'd recommend
Travel With Children by Maureen Wheeler, Lonely Planets. Useful, critical advice on health, food, customs, etc. plus accounts of family travels in this region. Can be ordered through our website at www.familytravelforum.com/amazon. For your kids, from travels to SEA with our son, I would recommend:
1) Any of the old school texts (illustrated with watercolors) meant to introduce exotic cultures to school kids. Your kids' school may have some in the library (2nd hand bookstores would, too). Morrow published a number of them here, we have "Chula of Siam" which is about the life of a Thai boy who grows up in a teak logging family who use elephants to work. Our son loved the book, even though we felt it was totally imperialist in tone.
2) A Kid's Guide to Bangkok and the Eastern Seaboard by Jennifer Sharples, BookSiam Press (write to them at Ditri-Thai Ltd. 60 Soi Naphasup Yaek 5, Sukhumvit 36, Bangkok 10110, Thailand). This is a terrific what-to-do- and why-it's-so-cool guide for 8 years+. Tons of info on activities for all.
3) Bangkok's Waterways by William Warren, photos by R. Ian Lloyd, Asia Books. Wonderful photos and text, maps and explores of the great rivers and waterways. To be read by parents but loved by all.
4) A Jakarta Market by Kaarin Wall, American Women's Association, Jakarta, Indonesia. A delightful compendium in B&W of foods, fruits, flowers found in Indonesian markets and how to use/cook them. Wonderful drawings of very exotic stuff will fascinate your kids.
5) A Garden of Eden by W. Veevers-Carter, Oxford University Press. Text about plant life in SEA is too scholarly for kids but the watercolors are superb. Our son loved seeing such alien plant life.
6) Main Streets of Southeast Asia by Hal Buell, dodd, Mead & Co. Again, a real oldie (1962) from a time when even B&W photos told an exotic tale of SEA. Simple prose is good for older kids, and the photos of traditoinal costumes, street life, farmers are wonderful.

If you can find the Insight Guides to Thailand and Indonesia, published by APA but in the midst of some kind of publishing turmoil, they have wonderful photos to share with your kids. Ditto for the new Knopf guides, currently only for Thailand and Bali, which are wildly colorful and useful. And don't forget to ask for brochures from the relevant tourist offices, and copies of the Garuda and Thai Airways inflight magazines. All will have maps and photos that can help open a dialogue with your kids about what to expect in their travels.

Please let us know what you come up with, think about writing about your trip for FTF, and consider joining our travelers network!