The Little Bookroom Guide to Paris With Children ─ Play, Eat, Shop, Stay

The Little Bookroom Guide to Paris with Children focuses on what sophisticated parents with good taste want to know: how to see Paris’s most important sights and neighborhoods in a child-centered way—in this case, through the eyes and experiences of author Kim Horton Levesque and her three research assistants, her daughters.

Organized around places to eat, play, and shop, there’s lots of information on family-friendly restaurants (yes, they exist in Paris), classic cafes where Parisians take their children, items on Parisian menus that appeal to children, charming tea salons for your little Madeline, ice-cream stands and parlors for everybody, and places for picnicking and snacking; parks and playgrounds near attractions, and how to feel at home in the parks, including all you need to know about pony rides, marionette shows, model-boat rentals, merry-go-rounds, and more; where to shop with children and for them, including the best places to find quintessential French children’s clothing (espadrilles, striped sailor’s jerseys, and, this being France, perfume for babies!) as well as the best baby gear and toys at both exclusive shops and chain stores. Levesque also profiles the best small boutiques that feature French designers for children’s clothing and artisanal toys.

The guide also includes practical advice on finding a babysitter in a pinch or an English-speaking playgroup; words you may need at pharmacies, whether the problem is a sore throat, blisters, or an upset stomach; and how to locate a toilet when your child needs one. And you’ll feel comfortable anywhere in the city after the author debriefs you on stroller etiquette.

Levesque also provides fascinating glimpses into the lives of Parisian children: typical school lunches (a cheese course? bien sur!); the all-important after-school gouter; the classic French layette; formula and baby food (forget applesauce, think ratatouille, potato leek, artichoke, and more); and all sorts of fascinating and useful information that will make your trip en famille an easy and pleasurable one.
Bon voyage!

Kim Horton Levesque, the author of Pampered in Paris: A Guide to the Best Spas, Salons and Beauty Boutiques (The Little Bookroom), has worked as a writer and French translator in the U.S. beauty industry. She is the mother of three young daughters, with whom she frequently travels to Paris from her home in Phoenix, Arizona. For more, visit her website at www.kimlevesque.com.