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Variety and Discovery
In Balu the Paw-Traveler Visits the Seven Modern Wonders, an adventurous black Labrador takes children on a trip around the globe to see how diverse our world is. What inspired you to create Balu the Paw-Traveler and make him the guide for children’s adventures around the world?
Traveling is my passion, and showing the world to my boys is something I truly enjoy. The idea for Balu the Paw-Traveler came to me when I was looking for a book about the Seven Modern Wonders to share with my sons. I couldn’t find one that felt suitable for their ages and included the kind of adventure and learning I was looking for, so I decided to create the story myself.
Balu was inspired by my own black Labrador. He isn’t a puppy anymore, but he still has that sweet puppy face that made him the perfect character to guide young readers around the world.
I also wanted to give parents a tool to spark curiosity and show their kids that there are so many amazing places, cultures, and experiences to discover around us. I believe an adventure can start long before we actually visit a place. Sometimes, reading about it is that first step—it opens their imagination, encourages them to ask questions, and makes them excited to discover more.
The book introduces geography alongside food, language, music, traditions, animals, and activities. Why was it important to show children several different aspects of each culture?
When I travel, I’m always looking for variety and discovery. When I plan an itinerary, I don’t want to simply visit a famous landmark and move on. I want to try the food, hear the music, learn about the traditions, see the wildlife, and experience the little details that make each destination unique.
I wanted to bring that same feeling into Balu the Paw-Traveler. That’s why I tried to include as many different elements as possible throughout his journey. I want young explorers to see that discovering the world is about much more than seeing a famous place. It’s about experiencing the variety, diversity, cultures, flavors, sounds, and traditions that make every destination unforgettable.
That is what makes traveling so exciting to me, and it’s the feeling I hope readers take with them on Balu’s adventure.
In your story, you frequently invite children to participate through movement, imagination, language, and other activities. Why was interactive learning important to you?
I didn’t want Balu the Paw-Traveler to be a story that you simply read and then put back on the shelf. I wanted young explorers to participate in the adventure and feel like they were traveling alongside Balu.
Throughout the book, readers are invited to do things themselves: learn a samba step, practice yoga, close their eyes and use their imagination, and even think about what it might feel like to have the wind on their faces or butterflies in their tummies.
Reading about an experience is wonderful, but when you read, move, imagine, and participate at the same time, it becomes something you can actually feel. Those feelings are often what we remember most. That was my goal with Balu: to make the adventure feel as real as possible and turn reading into an experience rather than just a story.
Is The Seven Modern Wonders the beginning of more journeys for Balu, and are there other parts of the world or subjects you’d especially like him to explore?
Absolutely! The Seven Modern Wonders is only Balu’s first adventure. I’m already working on more journeys that will take him to new places and give young explorers even more opportunities to discover our incredible world. Future adventures may take Balu across continents, oceans, national parks, and beyond.
My goal is to continue creating adventures that encourage families to explore, learn, ask questions, and stay curious about the world around them. There is so much for Balu to discover, and I’m very excited about where his paws will take him next!
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Perfect for children ages 4-12, this educational travel adventure blends fun storytelling with real-world learning. Kids will explore Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum, and more, all through the eyes of a lovable dog.
With vibrant illustrations and an engaging narrative, Balu the Paw Traveler: Visits the Seven Modern Wonders is a multicultural picture book and a geography learning tool that sparks curiosity and a love for exploring our planet.
Ideal for bedtime reading, classroom learning, or as a gift for young adventurers, this travel story will inspire them to keep exploring our amazing world.
Ready, set, paws.
Adventure awaits, let’s go!
Balu the Paw Traveler
Balu the Paw-Traveler Visits the Seven Modern Wonders by Miry Bejerano is a cheerful travel adventure that turns geography and world culture into an imaginative trip for young readers. Balu, a friendly black puppy, invites children to climb aboard an imaginary airplane, train, and hot-air balloon as he travels to Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer, the Colosseum, Petra, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China. At each stop, a local animal friend welcomes Balu and shares a few facts about the landmark, along with greetings, foods, traditions, or activities connected with the country. That repeating structure gives the book an easy rhythm and makes each new destination feel familiar while still offering something different.
One of the book’s strongest features is the way it encourages children to participate instead of simply listening to information. Readers are asked to imagine themselves flying through the clouds, practice samba steps in Brazil, try a yoga pose in India, and wield an imaginary bamboo stick at the Great Wall. The cultural details are presented in small, kid-friendly pieces, such as tacos in Mexico, ceviche and pan flutes in Peru, gelato and pizza in Italy, and hummus and dates in Jordan. There are also simple introductions to words such as hola, ciao, marhaban, and namaste. The result feels part story, part introductory geography lesson, and part activity book, with Balu serving as an enthusiastic guide.
The pages are filled with bright, colorful cartoon scenes showing Balu at each landmark alongside animals such as a jaguar, llama, toucan, camel, tiger, and panda. The landmarks are large and immediately recognizable, while speech bubbles make the encounters feel a little like a comic book. I especially liked the “Balu’s Notes” pages, which mix maps, flags, food illustrations, cultural objects, and short facts into scrapbook-style layouts. The pictures do more than decorate the story because they help young readers connect a place with its landscape, flag, language, food, and traditions. Balu’s expressive face and frequent appearances in tiny planes, trains, and balloons also keep the educational material playful.
The book also extends the adventure well beyond the final destination. After Balu returns home, readers get a family trivia game, thirty questions based on the journey, several “Adventure Snapshot” pages for recording their own trips, and a glossary of words introduced throughout the book. Those extras make the book especially suited to families, classrooms, or children who like to revisit what they’ve learned instead of putting the story away after one reading. Balu the Paw-Traveler Visits the Seven Modern Wonders is an energetic introduction to world travel that combines facts, imagination, movement, language, and colorful illustration in a way that’s accessible for curious young readers. It leaves children with the sense that learning about faraway places can be something they actively take part in.
Pages: 43 | ASIN : B0FRKP8F42
