A Canadian Road Trip with Benjamin and Rumblechum

An adventure with familiar companions

Kenna McKinnon’s Benjamin and Rumblechum follows Katie and Jacob on a Canadian road trip with two eccentric aunts. Benjamin is their stuffed monkey, and Rumblechum is the minivan carrying them. Naming both companions gives young listeners something familiar to follow as the places change.

The journey takes them through Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario before they return home to Edmonton, Alberta. Geography is therefore built into the route of a family adventure. For adults sharing the story, those province names provide natural opportunities to pause and find the travelers’ progress on a map.

Travel made for sharing

The publisher describes a fictional chapter book based on traveling experiences, with illustrations at the beginning of chapters. That format gives a shared reading session manageable stopping places and visual points to discuss. The listed audience is ages three to six, so reading it together may be particularly useful for younger children.

The homecoming has its own details: their calico cat Freedom is waiting, and a mysterious parcel is opened. Returning home remains part of the adventure rather than disappearing behind a list of destinations.

Questions for a read-aloud

Ask children which traveling companion they would bring, or which place they would like to locate next. Those simple prompts connect the book’s family trip to their own curiosity without turning it into a geography lesson they must complete.