Journey Around Maine from A to Z from Applewood Books: Review

My girls' heritage begins in Maine although they aren't very aware of it! My husband was born in Maine and lived there until he was eight. His mother and grandfather were also born in Maine. I was very excited to have the chance to help them explore this unknown part of their roots.

Journey Around Maine from A to Z  by Martha Zschock was a great place to begin their journey! The entire Journey from A to Z series is an excellent way to learn about states and cities all around our country. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the amount of information on each page is extensive and thorough. 

Rose asked the other day why we had stopped reading stories before bed like we used to. To be honest I hadn't really made it a priority since we do so much reading during the day, but after our conversation I realized this was an important family time she was missing. I've been aiming to include this into our evenings which don't include church and the girls are very happy we have renewed this part of our routine. 

I actually had a really hard time getting through the book and we couldn't get through it in one sitting! They had so many questions spurred by both the information and the paintings. "What's that?" "What does that name mean?" "Can we go there one day?" The questions came flying faster than I could answer them! 

Not only are many of the wonderful landmarks Maine is famous for represented, but it also explores Maine's rich history. Everything from the Native American tribes and early settlers to lumber jacks and rock quarries are discussed. Science, geography and culture are all three explored. I loved the diversity of what was represented. Pictures books about states are typically very light on content and tend to focus on either history or geography. This book and others in the series are content rich in so many ways. 

One feature we all loved was the sweet chickadee who acted as our guide through the book. On each page the chickadee is part of the painting and I let the girls take turns finding her. Grace informed me the bird was a little girl! Each book in this series has a different bird to take readers on their journey. It really was a fun treat to play seek-and-find all the way through. 

My only lament is there isn't a book for every state and major city!

Disclaimer: I received Journey Around Maine from A to Z from Applewood Books in return for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. This is my own opinion.