If you’re a parent thinking about summer vacation but getting nowhere fast tinkering with a budget weighed down by high gas prices and the heavy economy, you’ll want to get a copy of “Atlanta Smiles.”
In lieu of the summer vacation we once looked forward to, the debut picture book by Angie Patnode provides families a long list of smile-inducing alternatives.
“Atlanta Smiles,” released recently at Centennial Olympic Park, is the story of a little boy named James who takes Addie, his neighbor’s granddaughter, on a guided tour of his hometown.
Patnode, a 40-year-old mother of two from Atlanta, was approached to write the book several years ago but never got around to it until her son Clayton was diagnosed with dyslexia.
“That gave me the push to get it done,” she said.
Patnode will be reading “Atlanta Smiles” at the Buckhead Preparatory School today and Friday, and at other locations through the end of school.
Although marketed to third-graders like her son, younger children can also read and enjoy “Atlanta Smiles,” which features parks, museums and sports teams.
“They’re places we’ve been and enjoyed through the years as a family,” Patnode said. “I think with the economy the way that it is, this will help families rediscover the adventures right here in their backyard.”
Hot spots include the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Center for Puppetry Arts, the Varsity, Spaghetti Junction, Georgia Aquarium and Imagine It, the children’s museum of Atlanta.
In addition to showcasing local attractions, “Atlanta Smiles” includes a bookmark that doubles as a “checklist” of James’ favorite places, encouraging readers to walk in his footsteps.
Once a child completes 15 of the items on the checklist, he can join the Atlanta Adventurers Club and eventually receive a medal during a future ceremony at Centennial Olympic Park, also featured in the book.
“Atlanta Smiles” is available at area bookstores and in the gift shops of the featured attractions.
For more information, log onto www.bareader.com or e-mail Patnode at patnode angie@bellsouth.net.
Save money, too
“Atlanta Smiles” name-checks several of the city’s top attractions. And although it’s geared for out-of-towners, the Atlanta City Pass (on sale) offers 51 percent off regular admission to the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Inside CNN Studio tour, High Museum of Art, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Zoo Atlanta and the Atlanta History Center. $69, adults ($141 value), $49, children 3-12. The book is good for nine days, so plan accordingly.
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