Sonderbooks Book Review of Vendela in Venice

*****Vendela in Venice*

by Christina Bjork

Reviewed March 22, 2002.
R & S Books, 1999. 94 pages. Available at Sembach Library (JF BJO).

Vendela in Venice is a wonderful travel book for children. (Okay, it was enjoyable for me, too.) It tells the fictionalized account of a Swedish girl’s week in Venice with her father. Reading this book a few years ago made me determined that some year we would visit Venice during Spring Break. This year, our reservations are made, so I decided that I simply had to read this book to my boys.

How many travel books would truly keep a kid’s attention? This one does a beautiful job. For that matter, I find it far easier to remember details from this book than details from “adult” travel books! Vendela is especially interested in the horses of St. Mark’s Square, and this thread gives the book unity. Vendela’s experiences lend interest to the places of Venice. I know that my kids and I will also be interested in photographing lions, looking at dogs in the corners of paintings, and pehaps buying a jar of glass beads. Every family headed for Venice should read this book, and those who aren’t going there any time soon can read it and dream. This book is good for information, but also tells a good story, making a dynamite combination.

Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

****Vendela in Venice

by Christina Bjork

*****Vendela in Venice*