Baby in Paris by Dorian Day

Today's read is the first in a series, which features a baby in striped PJs with a beanie who travels the world. This first book should highlight the major sites in Paris and promises beautiful, watercolor illustrations. I'm curious to see how it flows...and am more than happy to revisit Paris in the process. Whether this fits for ages 0 to 5, though, is something I'm wondering about.

Let's open it up and see how it does!

BABY IN PARIS

Baby Travel Books, Book 1

by Dorian Day

Picture Book

30 pages

ages 0 to 5

When Baby's family arrives at their Parisian hotel after a long flight, everyone settles down for a nap. Everyone except Baby.

This curious little 9-month-old has other plans. Slipping out of the hotel room, she embarks on an incredible crawling adventure through the City of Light. From the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe to Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the charming cafés of Saint Germain, Beanie Boo explores 20 of Paris's most iconic landmarks, all before her parents wake up.

With enchanting watercolour illustrations that capture the magic of Paris in autumn, Baby in Paris is a whimsical bedtime story that will delight little ones and grown-ups alike. Perfect gift for baby showers, first birthdays, and families who love to travel.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER     /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Every flip of the page opens up to beautiful views of Paris, while keeping a cute baby in the middle of everything.

When a baby's parents take her along on their trip to Paris, they don't expect her to unknowingly crawl out the hotel door and discover the city on her own. There are many sights to visit and little adventures to undertake...all before she grows tired again and has to return to the hotel for a nap.

This is a book that will delight two types of readers, those who know and adore Paris (most likely, the adults) and young listeners who enjoy watching babies. And yes, I do know of several toddlers who get excited whenever they see a baby. The scenes are lovely and draw in, while the characters carry quite a bit of reality to catch young listeners' attentions. The story itself is straight -forward and simply follows the baby from one place to the next. The name dropping is more meant for the adults, since most children won't be able to associate much with them. The older end of the intended age group can grab some first impressions of famous sights in Paris, although these still will connect best with those who have already visited the city or soon will be. It's a gentle tale and makes a nice bedtime read, especially since there's a last little twist at the end. 

It's an adorable book and will hit a niche group of young readers nicely. Otherwise, adults are sure to enjoy many of the scenes, making this a read that both sides can explore and enjoy.

And here he is...

Dorian Day is an author and adventurer who travels the world with his young family 200 days of the year. He creates children’s books, directly and indirectly inspired by his travels with his little ones. In 2026 Dorian created Baby Travel Books, a watercolour picture book series for the world's littlest explorers. Each book follows one adventurous baby girl (inspired by the author’s daughter), in her signature blue beanie and striped onesie, as she crawls her way through a different magical city, from the cobblestones of Paris to the cherry blossoms of Tokyo.

Told in gentle, simple words and painted in soft watercolour, the series was born from a simple belief: that it is never too early to start dreaming about faraway places. These are books made for bedtime cuddles and baby showers. New cities are always on the way. Follow along to hear when the next little adventure arrives.

• Series website: www.babytravelbooks.com 
• Baby in Paris: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2XQTSKP
• Baby in Rome: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H44Z5KCD

Same Time, Next Week? by Marlene Droop

Today's read greets from Germany and is being released in English next month. As a German/American household, this book, obviously, catches my attention. As a translator, I'm also very critical on these translations...which probably isn't fair, so I try not to get too harsh on that end. I do love the cover, too. These animals look like they are up to something, and I'm betting it will hold a bit of humor and imagination. 

Best way to find out is to open up the book and take a look!

SAME TIME, NEXT WEEK?

by Marlene Droop

Translated by Alisha Niehaus Berger

NorthSouth Books

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING SEPTEMBER 15th!!!

This sweet and funny road trip story celebrates finding support in friendship, even when things don’t go as expected.

Giraffe, Sheep, Turtle, and Crocodile have a common goal: to see the stars. They head out of the bright city on a road trip into the dark countryside. But plans can change when rain showers, snack breaks, and naps get in the way. Before they know it, the sun is rising! No big deal, say the friends, they can reach for the stars again. Same time, next week?

A gently humorous tale about friendship, expectations, and enjoying the journey by debut author-illustrator Marlene Droop.

PUBLISHER    /     GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

This tale is woven with a gentle tone, which invites to calmness, security, and dreams.

Giraffe and Turtle are underway in the van to pick up their friends Crocodile and Sheep. Together, they want to see the stars. Since the city lights make it impossible to view the gorgeous night sky, they head out into the country. But then, the entire sky is covered in dark clouds. The friends aren't sure what they'll do.

This read soothes while offering a little imagination and sense of friendship. The animals slide in with a sense of playful fantasy. The illustrations strengthen this atmosphere as they stick to a child-like style and let each scene unfold without even a dash of urgency. Instead, the car ride comes across with familiarity while each animal sneaks in a tiny twist of humor here and there to keep everything light and give them personality. When things don't go as the friends intended, they take it in stride without the slightest hint of negativity to create a wholesome read with goodness pure. So, this is a lovely read to ease into quiet hours.

The text stays at a few lines on each page, making it a quick read and ideal for groups or single settings. The vocabulary and tale fit even the younger end of the age group nicely. While there is a message surrounding expectations and what happens when they aren't met, this is very light and steers very clear of any preachiness. Instead, the tale feels a bit directionless. The friends are expectant but never seem to be overly excited to see the stars; they have very little reaction when the storm comes; and they don't really say or do too much when the sun rises. So, it stays fairly mundane on that end. But that's also what makes it a more soothing read to enjoy. The fantasy invites in, the animals will have readers wishing they could accompany them, and there is a gentle adventure to enjoy before drifting off to sleep. 

And here she is...

Marlene Droop studied graphic design in her hometown of Münster, Germany. She then moved to Hamburg to pursue a master’s degree in illustration. Her first young adult novel, Echt das Leben und Ich (Real Life and Me), was published in 2024 and nominated for the Stiftung Buchkunst award for the most beautiful German book.

Marty Moose: The Great Stampede by Claire Powell

Today's read is the 2nd in a chapter book series, and of course, I didn't read the first one, yet. But that shouldn't matter...I'm hoping. So, why did I pick this one up? Because of the post mouse on the cover! I can see this little guy having all sorts of adventures. After all, postmice are sure to experience all sorts of things.

I'm hoping for smiles and adventure, so let's see if this mouse can accomplish both of these!

MARTY MOOSE

The Great Stamp-ede

by Claire Powell

Walker Books

Children's Animal Adventure

163 pages

ages 7 to 9

COMING SEPTEMBER 1st!!!

The second adventure in a brilliantly funny and charming two-colour series from a bestselling illustrator.

It's the day of the annual Fastest Feathers race in Little Ditch, but Marty Moose can’t stop to join in the fun – he’s got a very important parcel to deliver. The prize is a beautiful shining golden egg, and it's got to reach the finish line before the contestants do!

But that’s not the only twist in the Marty and Nibbles have to contend with ferret bandits who want the prize for themselves, and a pair of cheating ducks in a terrible case of fowl play.

GOODREADS   /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Delivering the post can lead to all sorts of unexpected adventures, and this tale proves it.

Marty Moose is a postmouse and good at his job, but he doesn't work all the time, especially not on holidays such as Feather Race Day. On this day, birds compete to see who can reach the finish line first. Only birds, which is completely okay for Marty, since the prize has been underwhelming every year. This year, however, there is the golden egg...and it's missing! The others at the postal service can't figure out where the important delivery went, which means Marty has to jump in. He's determined to find it and get it delivered. But he's on a huge time crunch, since the race has already began...and there might be a reason that the package went missing in the first place.

This is a fun read with mystery, action, and all sorts of feathered ridiculousness going on. If you're looking for a slow, calm read, this isn't it. Instead, Marty is kept on his toes as he does his best to fulfill the delivery. There are massive mouse lines to get to the bathroom, friends who do the unexpected, very determined contestants, and even a villain or two. Every moment seems to bring in a new form of chaos and surprises, which makes it grabbing from beginning to end.

Readers, who are very sure of their words but not quite ready for longer reads, are going to feel comfortable in this book. The vocabulary does exercise those word skills a bit and the tempo works comprehension skills. The illustrations add to the humor and help along with the plot, while being very entertaining.

It's a packed read with tons to enjoy and unexpected situations the entire way through to guarantee that boredom stays very far away.

And here she is...

Claire Powell is a best-selling children’s book maker, character designer, and illustrator. She is the author-illustrator of Marty Moose: First Class Mischief, the first book in a series for young readers and her authorial debut. Her collaborations with Beth Lincoln, Kes Gray, and Simon Farnaby all topped the charts. She has also illustrated books for Dermot O’Leary, Jeanne Willis, Peter Bently, and Michelle Robinson. Claire Powell lives in Derbyshire, England.