When it comes to clever activity books for kids, Klutz owns the market, hands down. This upbeat and irreverent publishing company produces all sorts of portable crafts, science kits, drawing pads and puzzles — many of which are great for traveling. (Minus the spiral-bound Bead Rings that comes with a daisy wheel filled with hundreds of seed beads that would not be fun to pick up off the floor of a plane or the backseat of a car.) The travel section of the Klutz website features such goodies as Doodle Faces, The Cootie Catcher Book, The Encyclopedia of Immaturity and Suction Cup Critters.
A new Klutz release this spring is The Slightly Odd United States of America. For ages eight and up, this book includes all sorts of wacky facts about every state in the nation. Each colorful page is dedicated to one state; my favorites are the ones that have the funny state illustrations: a corn-cob Iowa and a Swiss-cheese Wisconsin.
The book is peppered with historic facts (Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky) and off-the-wall information (Blue Earth, Minnesota, is the home of the first ice cream sandwich and Mr. Potato Head is Rhode Island’s official travel ambassador). Trivial, random information reigns supreme in this book — exactly the kind of silly stuff that kids love.
It also includes word searches and scrambles, quizzes and games to keep kids entertained through a multi-state road trip (though I’d love to see even more pages filled with activities). But this book won’t only occupy children in the car; it will teach them about the differences among the states (trust me there’s a whole heck of a lot of random stuff I didn’t know about the U.S.A.) I also see the book being used in our house to help with school research projects down the line.
Buy The Slightly Odd United States of America on the Klutz website for $12.95. On Amazon.com it’s reduced to $9.32.
More travel items for kids:
#1 by Sofia – As We Travel - April 18th, 2010 at 10:46
I remember the first English book I bought as a kid. It was a similar one to this, about the strangest laws and crimes in american history.
I was 14, and after reading that book I thought America was the craziest country in the world! fun book though. ;)
#2 by Karen - April 19th, 2011 at 16:07
How fun! My kids love books like these, anything that makes them laugh and helps them to learn is awesome! Thank you, I’ll definitely check it out.
#3 by Steven Bancroft - April 20th, 2011 at 11:58
Good stuff for kids AND adults. I love “off-the-wall” facts. I’m a bit of a fact and history buff. It’s books like these that make learning fun. I think textbooks could learn a thing or two from this type of book. Who says learning must be dry and dull. Dress it up with content like that found in “he Slightly Odd United States of America”.
#4 by Joe Francis - April 21st, 2011 at 19:54
What’s funny is that although the book you reviewed (The Slightly Odd United States of America) is actually aimed at the kids, we adults can learn a fact or two from reading it. I must confess I learnt a couple of facts about the US and I have asked friends to get it for their kids or themselves for that matter.