Paris takes over the world by Kyla May with Zanni Louise

This new series co-written by Zanni Louise features fabulous full-colour illustrations by Kyla May (Diary of a Pug, Lotus Lane series) and follows the travels of a young girl named Paris as she explores cities around the world. In this first installment of her travel diary, 10-year-old Paris is visiting her favourite city, Paris. While she is there, she meets a girl named Amelie who has lost her dog. To find the puppy Paris helps Amelie retrace her steps though the city, visiting many landmarks along the way, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees and the Luxembourg Gardens. 

Paris is an appealing main character: she is happy go lucky, adventurous, kind and confident. Children will delight in her solo adventures around the big city with a chauffeur at her disposal and her constant need to stop for sweet treats. Maps, landmarks, and smatterings of French make this perfect for those learning French at school or wanting to know more about Paris itself, but it's a delightful story regardless and makes for a great read aloud or shared read. There is also quite a lot of information about the landmarks worked into the story. Bright, fun illustrations take up much of each page, with small chunks of large text interspersed throughout. This is a fun adventure around Paris, perfect for readers who like stories about independent female characters such as Ivy and Bean and Clementine Rose or those who love learning about other places around the world. 

Themes: Paris (France), Travel.

Nicole Nelson