Children's Book Review: Molly and the Magic Suitcase: Molly Goes to Rome and Molly Goes to Barcelona By Christopher and Amy Oler

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received these books, free of charge, from the authors,for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about them.

Back to School means Book Reports, Social Study reports and Science Experiments are coming your way! 

Today I have 2 unique kids books to share with you, that are a great compliment to your children's social studies/geography lessons!

This new series of picture books for kids 4-8, feature Molly and her brother Michael. The pair use a magic suitcase to travel to destinations around the world learning about landmarks, culture, food, games, and more. The series is intended as a fun way to introduce kids to the idea that the world is a diverse and exciting place to explore.  They even have their own website!

The first book in the series is:

Molly Goes to Rome: Molly and her brother Michael are curious about the world. Inspired by food, of their favorite Italian restaurant, they trek to faraway Rome using a magic suitcase. Over the course of their adventures, they learn about language, culture, cuisine of Italy, and make new friends. In Rome they met Marco, who shows them around the city and answers the big question on Molly’s mind: how do Italians eat spaghetti? 

The second book in the series is:

 Molly Goes to Barcelona:  After checking out a soccer match, Michael and Molly visit Barcelona, via their magic suitcase,  and learn about the city's culture in their second adventure. They find a new friend in Francesca and learn about Gaudi's amazing architecture, try fun new food, see the wonders on Las Ramblas, and much more. 

A third book, Molly Goes to Thailand and a chapter book for 8-12 year olds that takes place in Rome, are both due out this fall. 

Review: Miss Grace was fascinated with the books, and her first thought was if we could cook some of the foods from the books! Yup, future cook in the making! But she had a point, as all Southerners know, the best way to find out about a place, is to check out it's food and traditions! We would highly recommend these books to supplement you geography lessons (for teachers and homeschoolers), and to share the love of travel with your kids (for parents). The illustrations are bright and adorable, and sure to keep your child's attention. The are aimed at about a 2nd-3rd grade reading level. The book are endearing and kids will get a kick out of them!


About the Author/Illustrator:  
Amy Houston Oler is a trained artist who has loved drawing all her life, rarely going anywhere without a sketch pad. She created her first comic strip at age ten and continued creating comics and cartoons in high school and college, graduating from DePauw University with a double major in both History and Studio Art. She later studied at the New York School of Visual Arts. During her time in New York, she worked for Marvel Comics, The New Yorker, and Entertainment Weekly. Amy produces all of the art for the Molly and the Magic Suitcase series by hand. 

Chris Oler began a freelance writing career through sports, specifically the corporate softball team he put together in Chicago. His game reports entertained well enough that he was soon writing for other divisions of Kaplan Professional. His background includes speech writing for the Indiana House of Representatives, serving as an editor for Kaplan in Chicago, and teaching and coaching students from grade 5 to grade 12 at the International School of Indiana and Park Tudor School in Indianapolis. Chris is currently the President and Lead Writer of COLOR Marketing & Design.