My Travels With Clara Hardcover – September 10, 2007

I loved this book and so did the 7 and 8 year old that I got it for! It's informative and fun to read and the bonus that it is factual makes it an excellent book for many age groups. I liked the pictures as well but the story is the thing! A wonderful book for kids that like animals and history or just a good story.

I LOVED this book! Everyone should read it.

The friend who recommended this book told me that if I bought it, I'd want to keep it for myself instead of passing it on to a child, & she was right. Not only is the tale itself a marvel--the true story of a rhinoceros who is adopted by a Dutch sea captain, sails around the world, and becomes a celebrity throughout eighteenth-century Europe--but the writing is tremendously graceful, and the illustrations are divine. Clara the rhino is as endearing as any of the great critters of children's literature, from Babar to Olivia to the Velveteen Rabbit. In the end, I fell so in love with her that I couldn't, as my friend warned, part with the book once I bought it. But I've since purchased several other copies--for both the adults and children in my life--and Clara's travels have enchanted them all.

Overall, I would have to say the written context of this book is okay. However, once you start reading, it mentions that Clara likes to drink beer and that she likes it when her owner smokes. I understand that this book is based in the 1700s and that was a part of everyday life back then. However, if you are a teacher or work professionally with children you need to be warned about that. Several parents will be offended/angered. I don't even understand why anyone would write about beer and smoking in a children's book anyway. It doesn't even have any strong ties in the story. It's just a side note; however, it's a side note that can turn into quite the controversy.

This book is a treasure! It promotes an appreciation of not only the rewarding act of loving an animal as a member of one's own family, but also the idea that antiques or "old things" can have a fascinating story to tell. Done in scrapbook-style with cursive writing, drawings, and real photographs of objects pertaining to Clara's Grand Tour through Europe. Enjoy!