Review sponsored* by Margie Blumberg
The Children’s Book Review | March 16, 2016
Written by Margie Blumberg
Illustrated by Renée Andriani
Age Range: 2-6 years
Hard cover: 40 pages
Publisher: MB Publishing, LLC (November 6, 2014)
ISBN: 978-0991364695
What to expect: Travel, Fun, Adventure, Culture, Bilingual…Paris!
Paris Hop! is a wonderful journey into the sights, sounds, scents, and linguistic adventures of the City of Light. This unique cross-generational narrative introduces the reader to Grandma Goldie and her granddaughter Aimee as they head to the first stop on their itinerary—La Tour Eiffel—where they hope to see Paris sparkle in the sun from the “tippity-top of the tower.” But right from the start, they get happily sidetracked. The book is suspenseful and full of forward movement as readers will wonder if the characters will make it there in time because of the many detours they take along the way: Notre Dame, an art market, a cruise down the Seine, and many other famous sights … not to mention stops to enjoy some delicious food, too! The rhyming story draws the reader in, not only by highlighting the many sights of the city, but also because Grandma Goldie and Aimee have just one day to see Paris. Alas, as the sun sets, they finally arrive at the Eiffel Tower. And that’s when they discover something wonderful: Paris sparkles at night, too—beneath the stars! The brisk pace of the writing beautifully captures the energy of the city, and grants readers the sense of discovery and excitement that travel can bring, especially to a great city like Paris.
An additional benefit of this delightfully illustrated book is the integration of the French language into the text of the story. This bilingual aspect is never forced—it effortlessly contributes to the book’s fast pace and to the sense of playfulness, versatility and fun that permeates through the book. For instance, discussing their trip to a bakery, the text proclaims, “… smell the air/Croissants! Éclairs!/Baguettes with apple butter … Oui-oui, s’il vous plait,/Non-non, we can’t stay/We haven’t time to putter!” In this way, the wonderful story also serves to integrate some very useful French phrases and vocabulary, perhaps as a way to further encourage readers to undertake the exciting trip to the city themselves!
As an excellent invitation to travel to Paris, or as a way to go there during nightly reading time, Paris Hop! is a lovely book that is certain to charm parents, grandparents, and children alike – C’est magnifique!!
Add this book to your collection: Paris Hop!
Available Here:
For more information, visit: mbpublishing.com
About Margie Blumberg
Margie Blumberg is the author/publisher of Avram’s Gift (illustrated by Laurie McGaw), Sunny Bunnies and Breezy Bunnies (illustrated by June Goulding), Paris Hop! (illustrated by Renée Andriani), and The Scoop on Good Grammar. She is also the publisher of the middle-grade novels Escape in Time (a historical novel, written by Ronit Lowenstein-Malz and illustrated by Laurie McGaw), Celtic Run: A Jake McGreevy Noveland Chicago Bound: A Jake McGreevy Novel (written by Sean Vogel), and The Secret at Haney Field: A Baseball Mystery (written by R. M. Clark). Future MB Publishing titles include the picture books Busy Bunnies, Snowy Bunnies, A Gefilte Fishy Tale (written by Allison and Wayne Marks and illustrated by Renée Andriani), and Rome Romp! (illustrated by Renée Andriani). A native Washingtonian, Ms. Blumberg resides in Bethesda, Maryland, where she enjoys reading, collecting first-edition novels and plays, biking, and watching movies. Her favorite authors and playwrights include Leon Uris, Jean Kerr, Norman Krasna, Nora Ephron, M. M. Kaye, Philip Barry, Susan Isaacs, Robert Lopshire, and Gene Zion.
About Renée Andriani
Renée Andriani grew up in Connecticut and studied Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. Working in an array of media, including pen and ink, pencil, dye, watercolor, and digital, she has illustrated numerous children’s books, including This School Year Will Be the Best! by Kay Winters, Don’t Know Much About the Fifty States by Kenneth C. Davis, and the Baby on the Way series by William and Martha Sears and Christie Watts Kelly. Her work also appears in magazines and on Hallmark’s Shoebox greeting cards. An avid hiker and cookie baker, she draws inspiration from doodling in her sketchbook, being outdoors, and hanging out with funny people. She lives in Kansas with her husband, three teenagers, two big dogs, and the nagging feeling that she forgot to pick up something important on the way home.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. The author of “Paris Hop,” Margie Blumberg, sponsored* this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …