What Trip is This?

Children’s book shows there’s more to traveling than big planes, new places.

MIAMI – Traveling in a post-9/11 world can be stressful, especially when children are involved. In “What Trip is This?” (ISBN 1463795254), Mahalia Solages tells a story about an on-the-go family, and what the process looks like through the eyes of a child.

Sessie is a 6-year-old girl whose family is taking their first vacation together. She quickly learns that traveling is more than just getting on a big plane, flying really high and arriving in a new place. She witnesses the difficulties of traveling in the high security world that we live in and everything that is a part of traveling from preflight check-ins to arrival.

Solages portrays Sessie as an inquisitive little girl who is trying to do what she feels is correct, but realizes there is a lot to traveling she doesn’t quite understand. Sessie and her family face long lines, scary security personnel and a fast-paced airport on this intercontinental trip.

The realistic approach that Solages takes is something she hopes will add to her book’s success. She feels that since children don’t have an accurate sense of time, her book will better explain the time consuming efforts that a vacation requires. It also allows parents to discuss the important aspects of traveling through an airport, as seen in the series of notes and tips for parents Solages adds to the back of the book.

Solages explains that her inspiration for this book came after witnessing an upset child in the airport. After seeing the temper tantrum, she felt that if children better understood the complexities of traveling, they might react differently at the airport.

“I saw a little boy at the airport having an absolute meltdown as his mother tried to explain that he had to give up his shoes to pass the security line. There was a huge tug of war, lots of explaining and tons of frustration on both ends,” Solages says.

This humorous children’s book allows for a fun approach to families traveling with children. Solages believes the work will give children an insight as to what happens before a trip in an effort to lessen the adults’ level of frustration and worry during traveling.

“What Trip is This?” is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.

About the Author:

Mahalia Solages received a degree from the New York School of Interior Design, attended the Florida Institute of Technology and Florida International University. After her schooling, Solages entered the aviation industry as a flight attendant before becoming a pilot and certified flight instructor. She also studied creative writing through various schools including Gotham Writer’s Workshop, NY. Her fictional work includes the children’s book “What Morning is This?” as well as other pieces that have appeared in the literary website WritingRaw.com. Solages current projects include a women’s fiction novel and a middle grade novel. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and daughter.

MEDIA CONTACT

Email: mahaliasolages@comcast.net

Website: www.mahaliasolages.com