Manchester International Airport in the UK has launched a children’s travel book, named the Little Book of Travel Tales, for World Book Day on March 2, 2023.
The free book includes stories written by children who have flown through the airport; 5,000 copies will be distributed to children traveling over Easter, as well as to pupils visiting the AeroZone education center. The book also contains puzzles, word searches and a range of other fun activities to keep children occupied while they wait for their flights.
Airport operator Manchester Airports Group (MAG) put out a call for submissions in 2022 and received hundreds of entries, which were whittled down to winners from nine UK schools.
One of the selected stories tells the tale of a panda-obsessed girl called Emily, who wins a competition to travel to China and see her favorite animal in the wild. Another recounts the adventures of a mischievous toy doll called Dolly, who escapes the suitcase she has been packed into while in the hold of an airplane and befriends a teddy, before finding – and eating – a whole box of crisps. Poems submitted include an entry from nine-year-old Noah about the various jobs at the airport and another by seven-year-old Milose about seeing a plane in the night sky and wondering where it might be traveling to.
The Little Book of Travel Tales is part of Manchester Airport’s wider program of education and school outreach work. AeroZone, an on-site educational center, was opened in 2022 by Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester. It provides a mix of teaching space and interactive zones, including a mocked-up plane cabin with real seats and cockpit, complete with flight simulator. It is available for school trip bookings for primary school pupils across the North.
Marcella M’Rabety, head of education, skills and employment at Manchester Airport, said, “We were blown away by the quality and variety of entries we received for the Little Book of Travel Tales and are very grateful to participating schools and their pupils. Literacy is a vital skill and World Book Day plays an important part in encouraging children to discover the joy of reading and writing. We were keen to support World Book Day through our education program and tapping into youngsters’ enthusiasm for travel and adventure felt like a natural fit. I know the pupils involved all had a great deal of fun writing the stories and poems, and I hope our passengers get just as much enjoyment from reading them.”
For more passenger experience stories from the passenger terminal industry, click here.
