An Armadillo in Paris by J. Kraulis

• Published in: The Deakin Review of Children's Literature
• Main Author: Kung, Janice
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of Alberta Libraries 2015
• Subjects: Kung; Pyramid; The Pyramid; Tundra
• Online Access: http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/deakinreview/article/view/23976; https://doi.org/10.20361/G2T304

Kraulis, Julie. An Armadillo in Paris. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2014. Print.This picture book explores the beautiful city of Paris through the eyes of Arlo, the armadillo. Arlo’s grandfather wrote travel journals for him to use once he was old enough to travel and he goes on an adventure to Paris in search of the Iron Lady. The story intricately weaves passages from the journal and Arlo’s personal experiences as he explores the city. Each stop brings him closer to his final destination and provides clues on what is the Iron Lady. Some of Arlo’s experiences include buying macaroons from a French bakery, observing the pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre, and visiting the Jardin du Luxembourg or Luxembourg Gardens. At the end of his journey, Arlo discovers that the Iron Lady is the iconic Eiffel Tower. Beautiful artwork accompanies the narrative. Overall, this book takes readers on an adventure through Paris that is suitable for children from Kindergarten to Grade 2. The book concludes with a page “All about the Iron Lady,” which includes interesting facts about the Eiffel Tower that will delight children and adults. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Janice KungJanice Kung is an Academic Library Intern at the University of Alberta’s John W. Scott Health Sciences Library. She obtained her undergraduate degree in commerce and completed her MLIS in 2013. She believes that the best thing to beat the winter blues is to cuddle up on a couch and lose oneself in a good book.