Mom’s Choice Awards is excited to announce another post in our interview series where we chat with the inventors, designers, publishers, and others behind some of our favorite family-friendly products.

We have another interesting interview for you today– we were lucky enough to get some time with Gurkiran Sandhu, author of Let’s Explore Peru, Kids! A travel book for children.

Gurkiran at the Great Wall of China

Gurkiran is a California-based software developer, businesswoman, and world traveler. She’s made it her aim to write books on various topics that interest her, including nutrition, education, and of course, travel. With hundreds of her books being sold worldwide, she tries to encourage kids to learn and educate themselves through reading and spreading their knowledge. She thinks the best ways we can do that are sharing our stories, details, and facts with the people around us.

Let’s explore Peru, Kids! is an enjoyable book for children that will take them on a journey through Peru with amazing pictures and entertaining details. This books will introduce little children to the world of Llamas, Machu Picchu and the rich culture of Peruvian people.

We were honored and entertained to be able to hear more about her travels and reasons for writing her series. The full interview is published below!

MCA: Hi Gurkiran! It’s always exciting when someone’s passion comes to life in practical, tangible ways, like your world travels. Tell us a little bit about your own trips, including to Peru. What inspired you to write your book Let’s Explore Peru, Kids! ?

Gurkiran: I have traveled the world and all 50 states of the United States. It gave me an opportunity to learn about different cultures, languages and festivals. Now, when I meet people, I can have meaningful conversations with them, whether they are from the United States or from some other place. I feel knowledgeable and confident when I speak to people from different communities and by doing so, I have made many new friends who I meet with on a regular basis.

Gurkiran at Machu Picchu

I believe traveling to Peru and other places has been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life and I wanted to share these experiences with other people, especially children who usually don’t get to travel much when they are young.

MCA: Why do you think it is so important to travel the world? What is there to learn from traveling, for adults and children alike?

Gurkiran: It is important to travel because it is a very fulfilling experience and completes one’s education. For example, when we learn that the staple diet of Peruvians consists of corn and potatoes in school, we forget it by the time we move on to the next year, but when we actually visit the place and see such facts in person, it remains in the memory forever, because one has lived that moment.

In addition, traveling helps people to converse with others from different cultures, and to learn about a world other than the one they live in.  

MCA: That is very true! You also mentioned how important it is to share stories and pictures from your own personal travel with those around you. Why is that?

Gurkiran: When someone shares their experiences, stories or pictures with others, they educate them. I believe sharing your own travel stories with other people inspires them to experience the same, and explore the world. Who knows, when they come back from their travels and share their own experiences, they may bring new facts and details with them, which enhances their shareable knowledge further. It is like a snowball effect: sharing stories and knowledge about different places keeps getting added to one’s current knowledge base.

Furthermore, one person can share experiences about a place, another can share details on a different place, and this will make both people a little more knowledgeable about both places, which is a great way to learn through collaboration.

MCA: We have certainly learned through hearing your experiences, and reading about Peru in Let’s Explore Peru, Kids! What is next for your Let’s Explore the World, Kids! Series?

Gurkiran: I have already started to work on that series and published books namely, Let’s explore Australia, Kids!, Let’s explore China, Kids!, and so on. There are many more to come.

We can’t wait to have the chance to read them, Gurkiran! Thanks so much for giving us some of your time today.

 Thanks to Gurkiran Sandhu for taking the time to chat with us! You can find her book Let’s Explore Peru, Kids! HERE!