Elementary

Lonely Planet Kids: A Kid’s Guide to New York City. ISBN 9781837585243.
––––. Lonely Planet Kids: A Kid’s Guide to Paris. ISBN 9781837585281.
––––. Lonely Planet Kids: A Kid’s Guide to Rome. ISBN 9781837585267.
ea vol: 144p. (Lonely Planet Kids Guides). Lonely Planet. May 2025. Tr. $16.99.
GR 2-5 Despite their reputation for producing quirky travel guides with hidden gems and travel itineraries, these “Lonely Planet Kids Guides” books will not help readers navigate their way around the respective cities. Instead, these guides serve more as an armchair vacation, filled with images and interesting facts in the DK-style of nonfiction text, but formatted more like a chapter book, from size to organization. With the exception of two chapters, the books are each split into the same sections, starting with a “how to use this book” that includes a few key phrases in the language of the location (New York just tells readers that “NYC is another way to say New York City”), as well as suggestions for interesting sections to check out, giving readers the permission to flip through the book as they wish rather than the expectation that the sections should be read in order. Each ­volume includes general reference maps of each city with some features and points of interest ­labeled, as well as a map of the city’s Metro (or subway, in the case of New York). Although the information is generic, it does offer a starting orientation for visualizing the location. Those looking for specific travel details will need to look elsewhere. The colorful images and vibrant design make these pop. The combination of image-heavy layouts with bite-sized text blocks on every page makes these books eye-catching and engaging, perfect for skimming and daydreaming, but also useful as a reference source to gather specific information about the cities. The “Going Green” section is worth noting, drawing attention through multiple pages to the green spaces and natural features of these urban centers, offering a nuanced overview of each city for young travel researchers. VERDICT Purchase as reference material and eye-candy to encourage daydreaming