Cha-Cha & Zee Explore Our Nation’s Capital

Indigo Tyler
TK Publishing (2006)
ISBN 0976510006
Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (12/06)

How fun is this! The idea of a pair of penguins guiding a child around Washington D.C. is a hoot, or whatever sound penguins actually make. Whenever I travel, I always make a point of getting a travel guide to research the area. And if time allows, I pick up a novel about the area. But it is not so easy to find travel guides made for children.  But anytime you can, it makes it that much more enjoyable for your tiny travelers, and for you.

Cha-Cha and Zee are curious, as most youngsters are, and take great interest in a travel guidebook left behind at the zoo. It is not long before they venture out of the gates to visit the destinations highlighted. They start out on the Metro and make their way to the Capitol and the various monuments along the mall. We even get a glimpse at the exhibits inside the various museums of the Smithsonian Institution

“Cha-Cha & Zee Explore Our Nation’s Capital” is full of colorful photographs of familiar sights with cute penguins thrown in. Pertinent facts create a learning experience that could be used in a classroom for older children. The author even introduces the concept of coins and the statesmen on them while talking about their associated monument in the city.  The younger ones will most likely only be interested in the chatter of the penguins and the pictures. I love that it has a city map to help put everything in perspective. And of course there are lots of zoo animals which can be fun to identify. There is also a companion Activity Book full of quizzes, games and activities, and a Tour Guide with more details about this famous city.

Being from San Antonio, I am excited to see that it will be Cha-Cha and Zee’s next destination. I can’t wait to explore my favorite city with them. Maybe they can stay overnight at the San Antonio Zoo. They might have those fish sandwiches that Cha-Cha likes!

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