Reviewed by
Mary
If your child has ever wanted a penpal, Banjo Robinson the travelling cat is the answer! Banjo sends letters from all over the world, and you can write to him too!
His most recent destination is Mongolia.
Banjo’s letters are chatty and a lot of fun to read. He tells stories about the animal friends he has met along the way, together with descriptions and fun facts about the places he visits. The balance of these things varies according to the destination, so for example some places which are less tourist friendly (such as Somalia) will be more focussed on the animals and landscape, whereas more familiar places will have much more about the people.
The letters are personalised with the child’s name, plus mention other little details such as favorite foods, pets etc. which are given at the time of subscription. There is also the option for parents to add a PS, from Banjo of course, but this can be talking about anything you like! Perhaps praising a particular achievement or referring to a specific event.
There’s also not just the letter in the envelope.
There’s a little activity city map sheet, plus a recipe card for a local recipe, which always look delicious!
The child will also receive a colouring sheet, some fun stickers, and a sheet of writing paper for their reply!
The reply is one of the most lovely things. The paper is small enough so it’s not intimidating for reluctant writers, but there’s still plenty of room for writing and drawing. Banjo usually includes prompts and ideas for these in his letters if your child needs some extra inspiration.
There is an envelope too, with instructions to post under the sofa to be collected by a local cat to pass on to Banjo. What this actually means is that the parent can sneak the letter out at some point, and save it as a lovely memory of their child’s creativity.
The stickers are ‘stamps’ for the letter, decorative stickers, plus a country sticker to be attached to the world map received with the first letter, so you can follow Banjo’s adventures around the world.
Letters arrive every two weeks, which is the perfect space of time. As to price, it costs just a fiver a month for a year’s subscription.
By Evelyn 
