Journeys of Wonder: Teaching Kids About Adventure and Imagination

There is a quiet kind of magic in the way children see the world—how a stretch of road becomes a story, and a minivan named Rumblechum can carry laughter and learning across an entire country. Benjamin & Rumblechum by Kenna McKinnon and Emma Shirley Brinson captures that sense of wonder, blending the geography of Canada with the emotional geography of childhood. Through the eyes of Katie and Jacob, travel becomes more than movement; it becomes a way to discover courage, curiosity, and the small, beating heart of family connection.

As their journey unfolds from Saskatchewan to Ontario and back to Alberta, the children learn not only about landscapes but also about belonging. Each stop offers a new lesson disguised as an adventure—sunflowers blooming across Manitoba, a ballet in Winnipeg, the wide blue hush of Lake Superior. These places are more than postcard images; they become classrooms without walls, teaching patience, empathy, and joy in the unexpected. For young readers, this road trip feels like stepping into a living atlas, one where learning and laughter travel side by side.

Benjamin, the stuffed monkey who sits between Katie and Jacob, represents something deeply familiar to anyone who has ever loved a childhood toy. He is the keeper of imagination—the bridge between safety and the unknown. When Benjamin falls out of the van or rides a bronco at a rodeo, the reader feels the thrill of both risk and discovery. His quiet wish to be real echoes the yearning that often stirs in children: to matter, to be seen, to have their small adventures recognized as important. In that way, Benjamin becomes a mirror for every child’s inner world, where fantasy and truth blend seamlessly.

And then there is Freedom, the calico cat who waits at home, her presence a tender reminder that love can remain steady even as we wander. Her meows and daydreams bring a gentle rhythm to the story—a pause between highways and horizons. Through her, the idea of home becomes not a fixed place, but a feeling that travels with us, waiting patiently for our return.

At its heart, Benjamin & Rumblechum is not only about crossing provinces—it is about crossing into new understandings. It invites families to see the ordinary as extraordinary, to notice the beauty in a stretch of prairie sky or the quiet companionship of a stuffed friend. Beneath the laughter and excitement lies a simple, resonant truth: that every journey, no matter how small, changes us a little. And when we come home, even the walls seem to hum with the stories we’ve carried back.