Explore the World with Bella and Harry

It may be a small world, but some children are not learning exactly how small because geography is not always taught in a way that kids can learn. According to Lisa Manzione — mother, children’s book author and advocate for geographic literacy — if today’s kids are going to be well-equipped to thrive in our global economy, geography should receive greater emphasis in schools. Current thinking among many authorities holds that geographic literacy — the understanding of how people and places interact; where things come from, and where the human race is headed — is becoming a neglected subject. With an educated awareness of geography, students will be better prepared as they become adults to understand and maybe help solve world issues like climate change, the displacement of people and other contemporary concerns.

In March 2011, Senator Thad Cochran, a Republican from Mississippi, introduced a bill that would fund a four-year, $60 million program to enhance the teaching of geography in public schools around the country. Currently in committee, the bill was applauded by many, including Manzione, author of the globally-focused children’s book series The Adventures of Bella and Harry, published by TriMark Press.

As Manzione points out, geographic literacy is about understanding the cultures that go along with places and the process for understanding those cultures needs to start early. “If our children are going to thrive in the newly globalized economy, and prepare for the nearly 70,000 new jobs geotechnology is adding to the U.S. each year, they need the Cochran program,” Manzione observes. “In addition, children will become more well-rounded individuals if they accept that the United States isn’t the center of the universe and that there are other places on the map worth knowing about.”

Paris: The First Stop on Bella and Harry’s Doggone Adventures!

Manzione’s most recent book, The Adventures of Bella and Harry: Let’s Visit Paris!, relates the adventures of two Chihuahuas: Bella and her little brother, Harry, as the pups and their family tour Paris and discover the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, French cuisine and all the sights, sounds and tastes that make Paris a uniquely wonderful place. Illustrated by Kristine Lucco, the book won the coveted Children’s Literary Classics Seal of Approval and was also an International Book Award Finalist.

Let’s Visit Paris! is the first in the Bella and Harry travel-the-world series. This first adventure is an informative, interactive approach to help familiarize young readers with French customs, history and landmarks. As kids follow the pooches on their delightful journey, they enjoy a charming story and, at the same time, expand their geographic horizons. Let’s Visit Paris! incorporates a light-hearted, simple approach to a serious subject, presented in an engaging style that’s sure to capture young readers.

The series will also include Let’s Visit Venice! and Let’s Visit London! Manzione’s objective in setting each book in a different country is to open children’s minds to the different parts of the world around them, to point out the differences and similarities of other cultures, and increase a child’s sense of unity as a player on the global stage.

In writing the Bella and Harry series, Manzione aims to give young readers an entertaining and easily accessible approach to foreign cultures and countries. Kids get a glimpse of the culture and heritage of different areas when they are young enough to appreciate, absorb and internalize these concepts, making them ready to think about life in areas removed from those they already know.

Get ready to take on the world with Bella and Harry! Retailers’ first stop to get started is at www.bellaandharry.com