Global Geography Taught Through New Children's Book Series

However, this welcome change doesn't seem to affect our country's knowledge of the world around us. In fact, according to a Roper poll done by National Geographic, nine in ten young adults couldn't find Afghanistan on a map of Asia. Despite the increasingly popular acceptance of cultural influences, America seems to be largely unaware of the geography that surrounds us. But there's hope for the coming generations!

The new series The Adventures of Bella and Harry by Lisa Manzione will help young children get an early start on geography. Manzione's books follow two small dogs as they travel the various major cities of the world, making geography fun and exciting for kids. As children engage in the series, they learn about different places of interest through the eyes of Chihuahua duo, Bella and Harry. Keeping with modern themes of global tolerance, Manzione touches on not only geography, but unique aspects that run deeply within each city's culture.
“I do not believe that there are enough books for children between the ages of five and ten years that address geography, customs, cultures, etc...,” says Manzione. “I thought The Adventures of Bella and Harry series would be a good introduction for children, and hopefully stimulate their curiosity for more knowledge regarding the world in which we live.”

"Trying to teach tolerance of other customs and cultures is also something that I set out to do,” adds Manzione. “For example, one book in the series, Let's Visit Istanbul! addresses mosques and Muslim faith and another, Let's Visit Jerusalem! addresses the Western Wall and other religious landmarks.”

Major themes in the books include:

• Travel – The series gives children an exposure to traveling and the many gains one can acquire from it.

• Culture – Each book includes interesting things like typical food, dress, architecture, and religion.

• History – Landmarks are identified as well as ruins, museums, and even important bodies of water.

• Language – at the end of each book, Manzione includes basic vocabulary from the country explored, such as how to say “hello” and “goodbye”, and “yes” and “no.”

The books are written for elementary aged children and include adventures to London, Paris, Venice, Athens, Barcelona, Cairo, and Istanbul. Other cities such as Rome, Edinburgh, and Jerusalem are to be released within the year. The Bella and Harry website at www.bellaandharry.com also gives kids the opportunity to further interact with these two adorable dogs with coloring book printouts, interactive games, and information about the musical play based on the books. Also available online are study guides available to accompany each book in the series.

Lisa Manzione has traveled to each of the cities that she cites in her books. Manzione started the series after discovering that her children had an inadequate geographical education from their public schools. She is the proud single mother of two college-graduates and currently resides in Delray Beach, FL with her seven dogs.

For further information on the series please visit www.bellaandharry.com