A Ticket Around the World. Written by Natalia Diaz and Melissa Owens, with illustrations by Kim Smith. Owlkids, 2015. $17.95 ages 7 and up

"Fernanda and her family speak Portuguese. Her parents are from Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil. Now they live in Sao Paulo, which is the biggest city in the country. As in most of South America, the most popular sport in Brazil is soccer, also known as futebol."

There are thirteen countries on this young man's travel map; his audience is invited to share his experiences with making new friends and learning about the world.

The table of contents is front and center. Each country to be visited is placed on a world map, with the page for finding it displayed on the map itself. This will allow readers to start at the place that most interests them, and move forward or backward from there.

Every double page spread brings a new friend, several short paragraphs of information to describe the nation itself, the child and family, something about the seasons, the food, important landmarks and customs, and an animal or two. A larger map of the country visited provides a backdrop with major cities marked, and the country's flag is flown.

I find it reads a lot like a travel journal, conversational in tone and conveying interesting info for its target audience. Countries included are Australia, Philippines, Botswana, India, China, Jordan, Greece, Morocco, France, United States, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Canada. Bits of local language will add to the appeal.  In back  matter, the authors invite readers to think back on all  they have learned to answer a set of 13 questions ... one for each country.

This is a book for those interested in world geography, world communities and travel.