BELLA'S TRIP TO PARIS

A young elephant goes on a trip to Paris in this seventh book in Pezza’s Bella Lucia series.

On the day when Bella and her family fly to Paris, she wakes up feeling both nervous and excited. She has a big trip ahead of her—the family will be gone for a whole month. Bella has already read about Paris in books from the library, and she’s excited to see Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. Soon, it’s time to go. Bella has a great time on the plane, and an even better time entering Paris, where she spots landmarks she recognizes. After seeing the Louvre, the Sacre Coeur, the Luxembourg Gardens, and more, Bella begins to feel homesick (“I am having fun, but I miss playing with everyone”). She writes postcards to all her friends to help her feel better, and when she returns home, her friends throw her a party to welcome her back. Pezza introduces Bella’s feelings very naturally, acknowledging that children can be having fun while also missing home or feeling nervous. Short sentences and accessible vocabulary make the many French names more approachable. The author’s ink-and-paint illustrations sometimes have a flat, unfinished feel—the colors follow the linework instead of providing shading to give depth. Notre Dame suffers most from this approach, which gives the building the feeling of an unfinished Hollywood backdrop rather than a celebrated cathedral.

A sensitive consideration of the big emotions that accompany big travel.