A Travel and Culture Children’s Book – ‘Greetings from Kiwi and Pear’ by Joyce Wan

I had the pleasure of meeting children’s book author/illustrator, Joyce Wan, at the Society of Book Writers and Illustrators conference last month. Though her debut book Greetings from Kiwi and Pear (Blue Apple Books) was released in 2009, I just recently discovered it. I loved its themes of travel and culture, and Wan is also an inspiration to Asian-American authors and illustrators for her impressive work.

The first thing parents will notice when picking up Greetings from Kiwi and Pear is its cute cover depicting two adorable monkeys holding a postcard with the book’s title. The cover art is representative of Wan’s signature style of bold, clean, and colorful art that appeals to children.

Greetings from Kiwi and Pear follows the monkey duo as they travel the globe. The rhyming sentences flow effortlessly, making it fun and easy for children to follow along on Kiwi and Pear’s adventures to South America, Europe, Asia, and more. It’s a great way to introduce world travel to young children.

Greetings from Kiwi and Pear features fold-out pages like this one depicting a visit to the Great Wall of China. Photo: Maria Adcock

The book offers many features that will keep readers engaged: a poster-size world map to follow along on Kiwi and Pear’s travels, fold-out pages, and 34 stickers that relate to the story.

According to the publisher, Greetings from Kiwi and Pear is recommended for children 4-8 years old. However, I think parents can still read this book to infants and toddlers as they’ll still be drawn to the intriguing illustrations and rhythmic text (just don’t let them rip the non-board pages).

Since her debut book, Wan has published You Are My Cupcake and We Belong Together (both published by Scholastic/Cartwheel in Fall 2011). In addition to her writing, Wan manages the design studio, Wanart, which she founded in 2003. Fans can purchase greeting cards and gifts there with designs based on her illustrations.

I recommend Greetings from Kiwi and Pear by Joyce Wan, and think it would make a great gift for any child.

Where to Find Greetings from Kiwi and Pear: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound,  Wanart (signed copies)