Passport to the World

Traveling Around the World Through

Children's Literature

About Us

Footloose and fancy-free as a young adult, Maureen vanAmerongen traveled extensively around the world, first spending a year crisscrossing Europe by bicycle on an independent study of art history, languages and cultures. After a year of teaching English in Japan, she embarked on a solo grand tour of Southeast Asia, wandering as far as Pakistan, up the Silk Road, and across China. She discovered the world was a multi-faceted gem of diversity.

At 40 she became a mother. On September 11, 2001, her son’s first day of school, her life changed profoundly. A world she knew and loved was in crisis.

With the support and encouragement of fellow members of the Friends of the Library in Pine River, Wisconsin, Maureen developed a program designed to introduce very young children, their teachers, their families to the wonderful diversity of world cultures. As a volunteer, she has presented the Passport to the World program weekly in local classrooms. She has adapted the program for a local Summer Library Program and for the art galleries of the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Maureen lives in rural Pine River with her sculptor/carpenter/great cook husband, John, their son, Stone and dog, Busy. For cultural diversity, the family also keeps a pied-à-terre in Milwaukee.