This lovely book by French illustrator Marc Boutavant is one of our all-time favorites. In it, a little bear named Mouk, travels to Finland, Greece, Libya, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Pondicherry in India, China, Kangaroo Island in Australia, Japan, the Andes in Peru and finally to New York City.

It’s the kind of book that grown-ups don’t mind reading again and again. In fact, it makes you want to plan a year of travel just following in Mouk’s fictional footsteps.

There was a time when I never had fewer than 3 copies of this book in my gift closet. Which reminds me… I must replenish!