Lately, in our house, we have been spending a lot of time looking at Larry Gets Lost in San Francisco

, a children’s book about a boy and his dog who get separated and, of course, reunited after the dog has some fun adventures around the city. I love hearing Hudson pronounce “San Francisco” and “Golden Gate Bridge.” We talk about the cable cars and the sea lions (which he remembers), and the curvy streets and colorful Victorian houses (which he does not).

I love the idea of discovering other children’s books to bring to life and combining them with travel. It was an idea explored so sweetly by Bridget Hunt (on her blog, Tales of Me and the Husband) last year. In fact I couldn’t stop thinking about the video (below), so I asked if she would share the experience of bringing Make Way for Ducklings to life. Here’s what she had to say…

Last October, my husband, Steve, our son Parker, and I went into Boston for the day.  Steve was determined to follow the storyline of one of his favorite children’s books

 around the city.  A Make Way for Ducklings-tour, if you will.  If you know and love this book, too, then this video will be right up your alley.

Steve was the sweetest with his determination to connect the dots for Parker.  And it was so fun watching Parker’s face light up when he saw the actual thing that he’d been seeing in his book for months.  Truth be told, it was really fun watching steve through it all, too.  We were cutting it dangerously close to naptime by the end, so Parker’s excitement waned a bit. But Steve’s… not a chance.

I think Steve would make a really great “official tour guide” if we ever decide to really hit Boston hard with the Make Way for Ducklings-franchise.  Shirts, hats, books for all.  I think we could do it up.

Enjoy!

P.S. Huge thanks to the policeman who posed as Michael!

Watch: make way for ducklings! on Vimeo.

[Music: “Child

” by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros]

Such a darling idea! Have you done this in your city? I’d love to learn of more cities that could be explored this way.

Bridget lives in the Boston suburbs with her husband Steve, their five kids, and a yellow lab. She writes about family life (with kids ranging from college to toddler!), food, and fashion on her blog. She can also be found on twitter or over at her photography site. All photos are hers, shared by permission. Thank you, Bridget!

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