Washington, DC

Books and links for planning a family trip to The Nation’s Capitol.  (This page is still under construction.)


Urban Animals of Washington, D.C.
by Isabel Hill
Great photos of architectural animals on DC buildings. Includes a list of architectural features and definitions and a list of the buildings and addresses where each can be found.

The Star-Spangled Banner
Illustrated by Peter Spier
The national anthem illustrated with engaging watercolors that depict the British attack of Fort McHenry in Baltimore in the War of 1812 when the Star-Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key.  Also includes the story of the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during that battle and how it came to be in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.


How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum (How the . . . Got to the Museum)


You Can’t Take a Balloon into the National Gallery


That’s Good! That’s Bad! In Washington, DC
By Margery Cuyler, Illustrated by Michael Garland
A boy goes on a class trip to Washington, DC with adventures both good and bad, including Union Stations, riding a DC Duck, passing the White House, the National Zoo, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the reflecting pool, Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Jefferson Memorial and the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin.


Bailey at the Museum
Bailey, the dog, visits the Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC on a class trip. He has a lot of fun, gets into some trouble, and makes a new friend.  A brief overview of some of the exhibits at the museum.


Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who?: The Stories Behind Some of America’s Patriotic Symbols
By Teresa Bateman
Many DC monuments and memorials, plus the Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, and Mount Rushmore.


The Journey of the One and Only Declaration of Independence
By Judith St. George
Great illustrations. Tells the long story of the travels of the document before it came to be in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.


Larry Gets Lost in Washington, DC
By John Skewes