29 Children’s Books That Will Teach Your Kids About the World
Aside from actually hopping on a plane, reading is the best way for children to learn about the world—and travel books for kids happen to be some of the most touching, open-minded works out there. We asked around for recommendations for the best books that teach children about the world, polling experts like bookshop owners, authors, and librarians across the country.
You’ve probably heard of some of their picks already, but we hope this list will introduce your family to some new stories as well, whether it’s about a young girl shopping in India or a family taking a heritage trip to Nigeria. These are 29 of the best children’s books about travel, social awareness, and self-discovery—sure to be a hit for bedtime reading, road trips, and beyond.
This gallery was last published in April 2020. It has been updated with new information.
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Ages: newborn to 3
Subway by Anastasia Suen
As the co-founder and owner of Eyeseeme, a children’s bookstore focused on African American and multicultural literature based in a St. Louis suburb, Pamela Blair is an expert when it comes to kids' books. For the youngest of youngsters, she loves Subway by Anastasia Suen, a board book showing a mother and daughter’s ride through New York City. “It makes riding the subway sound like fun,” says Blair.
A Little Engine That Could Road Trip series by Watty Piper
There’s a good chance you read The Little Engine That Could when you were a child. This new series from Penguin Books, which launches in May, follows everyone’s favorite helpful blue train as she travels through all 50 states to teach kids about the culture, food, and landmarks of the U.S. The board books are beautifully illustrated by Jill Howarth, who got a mini-education of her own during the artistic process. “Working on these books has been a great way to virtually travel this past year alongside the Little Engine,” she says. “Whether I’ve ever been in the states she goes to or not, I learned about some fun destinations. I hope little readers will enjoy the trip.”
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Babies Around the World by Puck
My Little Cities series by Jennifer Adams
This board book series is a favorite of Olisha James, a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library’s Stapleton Branch on Staten Island. “The rhyming text takes you on a journey through the featured city, all while partnered with bright illustrations highlighting the city's tourist hot spots,” says James. “This series visits cities like New York, Paris, London, and San Francisco, reminding us that our littlest travelers need an accessible travel guide as well.”
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Ages: 3 to 8
The Airport Book by Lisa Brown
This book, which shows all the different steps you take when traveling by plane, received high praise from both Blair and Amanda Hua, a children’s librarian at the Seattle Public Library. “For young children, the best travel guides are books that can help set expectations,” says Hua—which makes The Airport Book a great primer for new fliers.
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My Africa Vacation by Ozi Okaro
Another pick from the staff of Eyeseeme, My Africa Vacation follows five-year-old Arinze and his older sister Cheta as they take a family trip to Africa. The book tracks their vacation through 10 African countries, showing iconic sites like Victoria Falls and Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as their grandfather’s village in Nigeria.
Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester
“On the surface, Let's Talk About Race appears to be a children's book, but it's so much more," says Rick Griffith of Matter, Denver’s only Black-owned bookstore. “'I'll take off my skin. Will you take off yours?' [It's] beautiful, poignant, full of questions, and open to discovering answers." The book was published in 2005, but remains as relevant and important today as ever.
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Hiking Day by Anne Rockwell
Travel doesn’t have to be a long, international journey; sometimes, it simply involves a lovely afternoon spent exploring your own backyard. That’s the premise of Hiking Day, which is endorsed by Jennifer P. Davis, a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and contributing author of Macmillan’s Outdoor School series. “This book walks you through [hiking] in a way that will leave you lacing up your shoelaces and raring to go,” she says.
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
We’re big fans of children’s author Jason Chin, as is Lynn Lobash, associate director of reader services at the New York Public Library. “This gorgeous picture book uses die cuts, pen and ink, watercolors, and gouache to depict a father and daughter trip to the Grand Canyon,” says Lobash. “The text gives information about the plants, animals, and habitats found there. It includes a two-page map and wonderful back matter for curious minds.”
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From My Window by Otávio Júnior
Ever wonder what people around the world view from their windows? That’s the premise of Otávio Júnior’s From My Window, a picture book depicting what children from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro see every day. The book comes highly recommended by Kalima DeSuze, activist and founder of the Cafe con Libros bookstore in Brooklyn. If you’re looking to stock up on more books, DeSuze applauds online bookseller Barefoot Books for “encourag[ing] curiosity in young people of different cultures.”
Girl on a Motorcycle by Amy Novesky
Featured on the NYPL’s Best Books for Kids list for 2020, Girl on a Motorcycle tells the true story of the first woman to ride a motorcycle around the world alone. Louise Lareau, managing librarian at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library Children’s Center in New York City, calls it a “great book that highlights the idea of exploring places that are off the beaten path.”
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A Gift for Amma: Market Day in India by Meera Sriram
Another pick from DeSuze, A Gift for Amma tells the story of a young girl in India who searches for a gift for her mother in an Indian street market. The picture book was inspired by author Meera Sriram’s experiences growing up in Chennai, and features beautiful, vibrant illustrations.
This Is… series by Miroslav Sasek
“Picture books are a great way to introduce kids to the cities they will be visiting,” says Jenny Rosenoff, a children’s librarian at the SNFL Children’s Center. This series from Miroslav Sasek showcases different cities around the world, ranging from Paris to Hong Kong—and is proven to have a real impact on youngsters. “A family from one of our Shelf Help bundles asked for NYC books [and we recommended this,]” says Rosenoff. "Then they sent us a photo of their kid by a painting at the Met. They said [the This Is New York book] saved the trip because she was so excited to see something she recognized.”
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Lonely Planet's City Trails series by Moira Butterfield
Another great option for learning about cities around the world, Lonely Planet’s City Trails books feature fun cartoon graphics that will teach children of all ages about history and culture. The series was recommended by the staff of both the NYPL and SPL. “[The books] break down the city into bite-sized chunks,” says NYPL’s Rosenoff. “Because who wants to overwhelm a kid with too much text when they’re looking to explore?”
¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat by Raúl the Third
The sequel to Raúl the Third’s much-lauded ¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market, ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat was published in 2020 and is another recommendation from Lobash. “If you enjoyed Richard Scary's Busytown books as a kid, you will love this makeover set in a border town where Little Lobo and his dog Bernabé make deliveries to Mercado de Chauhtémoc la Curiosidad, and Spanish and English words intermingle on the page,” she says. “The art is in a fresh comic style matching the energy of the bustling market.”
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A Walk in… series by Salvatore Rubbino
Whether your kids want to explore London, Paris, or New York, these books are sure to fit the bill. “Rubbino’s series covers the landmarks and streetscapes that families usually see when visiting these cities,” says SNFL's Lareau. “With fun artwork, the series portrays parent/child explorations of a new city.”
Ages: 5 to 9
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Ty's Travels series by Kelly Starling Lyons
The books in the Ty’s Travels series are great for early readers, and Eyeseeme's Blair particularly loves All Aboard and Zip Zoom, both of which follow the title character as he uses his imagination to go on incredible journeys—most of which can happen just in time for dinner.
Yasmin the Explorer by Saadia Faruqi
Yasmin is an energetic second-grader who loves to use her imagination. When her dad teaches her about explorers and maps, Yasmin decides to make a map of her neighborhood and she brings it along on a trip to the farmers' market. “[It’s the] perfect book for exploring the neighborhood and creating your own map,” says Mai Takahasi, a children’s librarian at SPL.
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Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
For early readers, you can’t do much better than Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series, another favorite of NYPL’s Lobash. In each book, Jack and Annie go on adventures back in time and all over the world, visiting the Amazon, Ancient Egypt, Kenya, and Yosemite National Park in 1903—just to name a few places.
Ages: 6 to 10
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Ana & Andrew series by Christine Platt
Ana and Andrew live in Washington, D.C., with their parents, and go on many adventures both at home and abroad that teach them about Black and African American history and culture. Blair specifically recommends Going to Ghana, which talks about the African slave trade, and Dancing at Carnival, where the siblings learn how their Trinidadian ancestors developed the festive holiday.
The World Between Blinks by Ryan Graudin
Whether books chronicle travel to real places or imaginary (as is the case with The World Between Blinks), you can usually count on a fun read with lifelong lessons involved. “This fun, fast paced story sets off on Folly Beach, South Carolina, [near Charleston] but soon the children discover a fantasy world where all lost things go,” says Mary Alice Monroe, author of The Islanders, a middle-grade novel out in June. “Everywhere they turn, real mysteries from history and myths are uncovered—thus fun for children and adults alike.”
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My Awesome Japan Adventure by Rebecca Otowa
Same Sun Here by Silas House
This chapter book explores different areas of the U.S., describing them to our would-be travelers, but the story, written from the perspective of two characters, is so much more. Through a school pen pal assignment, the characters meet and find common ground talking about environmental activism, immigration, and racism. This is “a book for our times,” says SPL children’s librarian Betsy Kluck-Keil.
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Walking with Ramona: Exploring Beverly Cleary's Portland by Laura O. Foster
Forget Portlandia—this book is the coolest way to learn about Portland, Oregon. “As a child, I devoured Beverly Cleary's books and the antics of Ramona, Beezus, Henry, and Ribsy,” says SPL children's librarian Beatriz Pascual-Wallace. “What a treat now to find this guide! Families who are fans of the books can experience Klickitat Street for themselves with this informative and fun tour guide.”
For all ages
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National Geographic Kids Beginner's World Atlas
“For those visual learners who love facts, this could be the ticket to prepping for a big trip,” says SPL’s Kluck-Keil. “These have a little bit of everything around the world to whet your appetite to explore new places.” Kluck-Keil also recommends National Geographic Kids Beginner's U.S. Atlas 2020 for U.S. travelers.
United Tastes of America by Gabrielle Langholtz
"The first thing that comes to my mind when I'm thinking about travel books for kids is United Tastes of America,” says Kevin Kelley, NYPL’s after school program coordinator and chair of Best Books for Kids 2021. The book is a geographical atlas of region-specific recipes from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and three territories. It’s a “fun and unique way to think about different ways we can experience travel using all of our senses,” says Kelley.
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Brick City: Global Icons to Make from Lego by Warren Elsmore
Lonely Planet's Not for Parents series
As the title suggests, this Lonely Planet series isn't made up of your average guide books for adults. Instead of tips for where to find the best meals or cups of coffee, these books show where to find Platform 9 ¾ in London for Harry Potter fans and explain why New York taxis are yellow. The books are a favorite of NYPL’s Lobash.
