Why Little James Starts his Adventures to Australia and Italy

Guest Blog Written by Children’s Author Janine Iannelli

The first two books are Australia and Italy because both places are near and dear to my heart.

My favorite part of traveling was learning all the differences between my home country of the United States and where I was visiting.

 In Italy, I loved how people always gave a kiss on each cheek when greeting each other. I also loved how hospitable and kind people were. I had studied the language for years so I was eager to speak in Italian however everyone in Italy was also eager to practice their English on me. I did a study abroad program where I was based in Florence. Florence is an incredible city. It is small so you can walk absolutely everywhere! I spent so many days just grabbing a small gelato and walking through the city admiring all the shops.

As far as sightseeing in Florence goes, these are my top picks and must-sees:

The David in Academia

Ponte Vecchio

Uffizi Palace and Gallery

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Piazza duomo

As I said when I was in Italy I met an Australian backpacker who I eventually fell for and moved with to Australia. We lived in Tasmania, which is a small island beneath the mainland of Australia. Tasmania is incredibly beautiful and still one of the most scenic places I have ever visited. It is cooler than the rest of the country though so winters are still not cold enough to get snow on the ground which is great! I hate shoveling snow so this was a very nice perk. However, if you do want to experience snow you can always drive up to the top of Mount Wellington in Hobart on a cold day and play in the snow up there. The best thing about Tasmania though is that it has the beauty of both the mountains and the water. Incredible!

I also had so much fun learning about all the little differences in living and language. And I loved learning and hearing new phrases.

I also enjoyed the different foods. I indulged in the meat pies and sausage rolls. I also learned that bakery’s there are for savory treats, not so much sweets or desserts.

I made friends all over the globe and something I noticed as a major difference between Americans and everyone else is their knowledge of other countries. Everyone I met knew their geography and how people lived in each place, their history, and their landmarks. They would have discussions on the differences in culture and what made each place unique. I however did not learn things like this about other countries growing up in the United States. My family did not travel and I did not learn such things in school. This is what gave me the idea for ‘Little James Big Adventures.’ A series about a little boy who visits a different country in each book. I also brought in a fantasy element to the story and gave Little James a magic snow globe that takes him anywhere he wishes. How else is a 10-year-old boy going to get around the world with no currency?

We even have a Christmas special/prequel to explain how Little James’ gets this magical snow globe which is the 3rd of our series and will be coming out October 1st! I say we because it is my sister Michelle and myself, I write and she brings it all to life with her illustrations.

Traveling is such a special gift and knowledge of the world is too. I am so thankful for my experiences that lead me to create these books and I love that I get to relive my experiences through the characters of Little James and Susie (Susie is his little sister that tags along on each trip). I hope children all around the world enjoy and learn from them too.