There aren’t many books for kids about going cruising. And that’s a shame if you’re planning an extended family cruise, as reading a book about other families cruising can help the kids with the transition, giving them something concrete to help them imagine their new life.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Emmanuelle Buecher-Hall sent me a review copy of her children’s book, Merlin’s Voyage, which she published about a year ago. It’s available on Amazon both in print and for Kindle (and in French as well as English).
Merlin’s Voyage is a travelogue of their family’s 2+ year voyage from South Africa to the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, on to the South Pacific and ending in Australia. The 48-page story is told by their boat, Merlin, and is designed for 6 to 12-year-olds.
Merlin’s Voyage is not so much about day-to-day life on the boat or particularly about the kids themselves as it is about the places the family visited, with lots of photos of the various islands, people and animals. I think it will spark most kids’ imaginations to want to go explore these far-off places, particularly if read with a parent pointing out the adventures in the photos (I know that photos I saw as a kid have sparked a great deal of my interest in travel as a kid and even now).
Everywhere I turn, it seems as though “families going cruising” is the hot new topic. Several blogging families that I follow have been featured in various newspapers and in major online publications. Voyaging with Kids (a great resource if you’re considering life afloat) has just been published, and now there’s a book to spark your kids’ dreams about travel to far-off places.
Get it on Amazon:
- Merlin’s Voyage in English, in print and for Kindle
- Le voyage de Merlin in French, in print and for Kindle
While you’re at it, grab a copy of Voyaging with Kids if you haven’t already!
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Emmanuelle Buecher-Hall says
Many thanks and happy reading!