Top 12 Fiction Travel Books for Kids

Are you looking for some excellent travel books for kids to help expand their knowledge of the world? Here are some of the very best travel-themed books for children!

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Travel books for kids are some of our favorite ways to learn about the places we visit, both before and after a trip. We love picking up picture books as a souvenir in each place we visit to continue the learning and memories even after we return home. Or if we’re not traveling, we love reading global picture books for kids to help transport us to a new place right from our own home.

We especially love books that don’t just recite facts, but instead share stories, folk tales, and cultural insights. Here are some of our very favorite fictional travel books for kids!

Global Picture Books: Top 12 Great Travel Books for Kids

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THE STORYTELLER, by Evan Turk

You can almost hear the slight whoosh of desert sands in this stunning tale set in Morocco. The sweeping illustrations and progressive tale perfectly portray the country’s allure and mystique.

FLY HIGH, FLY LOW, by Don Freeman

This sweet Caldecott Honor book recounts the story of two birds who make a home for themselves in San Francisco.

GANESHA’S SWEET TOOTH, by Sanjay Patel

This is a charming, atypical account of the Hindu god Ganesha and all the treats he loves. Perfect for little ones who are interested in India and global picture books, or just have an affinity for sweets.

SILENT MUSIC, A STORY OF BAGHDAD, by James Rumford

This beautifully illustrated story tells of a boy who turns to gorgeously depicted Islamic calligraphy during a time of war and contention in his home in Iraq.

PADDINGTON, by Michael Bond

Everyone’s favorite bear will have your little ones dreaming of Tube stops and double decker buses and visiting England themselves as they drift off to sleep.

THE ADVENTURES OF LILY HUCKLEBERRY IN SCANDINAVIA, by Audrey Smit & Jackie Knapp

This gorgeously illustrated book has Lily adventuring around several Scandinavian countries during Midsummer. Makes me want to just sit and read and make flower crowns.

MADELINE, by Ludwig Bemelmans

What would a kid’s travel books list be without Madeline – or any children’s book list, for that matter! It’s impossible to not be delighted by Madeline’s spunkiness and exploring heart, and illustrated Paris as a background certainly doesn’t hurt.

THE CAMBODIAN DANCER: SOPHANY’S GIFT OF HOPE, by Daryn Reicherter (Author), Christy Hale (Illustrator), Bophal Penh (Translator)

This beautiful global picture book touches very lightly on one woman’s experience leaving Cambodia due to the control of the Khmer Rouge. She uses dance to reconnect with her heritage, and help children feel that connection, too.

MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS, by Robert McCloskey

This is one of those delightfully classic books that I feel everyone should own. There’s nothing sweeter than all the ducklings exploring the streets of Beacon Hill in Boston.

RUNNING WITH THE HORSES, by Alison Lester

A beautiful story about a girl who lives with Lipizzaner horses in Eastern Europe in the midst of oncoming war.

STREGA NONA, by Tomie de Paola

Tomie de Paola is a genius with children’s books, and this award-winning classic is no exception (it won the Caldecott, and for good reason). Get transported to Italy with this silly tale, and then go eat your weight in pasta.