Here We Go! and Related Activities Promote Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship

What grandparent wouldn't like to trot the globe with grandchildren in tow? That's impossible for most grandparents, but GrandCamp Adventures aims to make virtual adventuring not only possible but a snap. Here We Go!, the first product from GrandCamp Adventures, is a storybook that ties in to other products, including a music CD, games, craft kits and stuffed animals. The concept is intriguing, the products are high-quality and the grandparent-grandchild relationship is sure to benefit.

Billed as "the storybook that becomes an adventure," Here We Go! is a worthy destination by itself. Grandchildren will fall in love with its cast of quirky but lovable characters:

• Papa - An energetic adventurer who sports a pith helmet and a special compass that works sometimes
• Grammie - A unstuffy grandma who wears granny glasses and boots and who occasionally has to take Papa down a notch
• Savannah - A tawny-skinned preteen who is always ready to help
• Luca - The fearless middle child who wears his shirt pulled up to form a hood, with tag flying
• Aidan - The youngest, whose outfit inexplicably includes swim ring, fins, goggles and swim cap.

On a recent adventure, the grandparents--called Pa-parents--flew in a plane with a faulty luggage compartment that scattered their treasures across the globe. Papa has invented a special compass that will take them on a dramatic grandparent-grandchild adventure to recover the treasures. They'll travel to a castle, the Congo, New Zealand, Shanghai and Venezuela before landing back in the Pa-Parents' backyard.

The book features fabulous artwork by Victor Tavares, an award-winning animator and illustrator. With Tavares' help, the family travels across a vibrantly stylized landscape, with frequent soaring perspectives. In each location, there's a bit of cultural education, but it is done with such a light touch that the grandkids won't notice that they are learning.

GrandCamp Adventures bills itself as the world's first company dedicated to the grandparent-grandchild relationship. Inspired by a set of grandparents who host a camp for grandchildren each year, the founders of the company set out to create a line of products that would make such grandparent-grandchild bonding easy for all to accomplish.

The first storybook can be bought with or without an accompanying CD of lively songs. The GrandCamp folks suggest that "dancing and wiggling" to the music CD is a perfect way to start a grandparent-grandchild adventure. Then everyone should be ready to settle down and read the book. A craft kit that ties in to the storybook is also available. Four more related products are slated for release early next year. The one I'm looking forward to is the Family Milagro Tree. "Milagro" is Spanish for "miracle," and what better word to describe the blessings of family. And for a company to recognize that fact and create products just for us? That's a bit of a miracle, too.

See more products from GrandCamp Adventures or learn more about GrandCamp Adventures.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.