As a teacher, you likely know this already, but just in case: Flat Stanley is the story of Stanley Lambchop (written in 1964 by Jeff Brown) who is flattened by a bulletin board that falls on him. I like to think of myself as heavily immersed in children’s literature, but this caught me completely off guard. The video that ensued had my two-dimensional visage cavorting about the Tuscan terrain with nary a care in the world, and when it was over (and the laughter had subsided a bit), I was told that it was produced in the manner of Flat Stanley. It seems that a small cardboard cutout of me had accompanied them in their travels. On the night of my party, they appeared with DVD in hand, replete with The Adventures of Flat Mikey.

I, too, recently celebrated a landmark birthday (no, I’m not telling), and though I could only manage a trip to the grocery store as part of the festivities, my globe-trotting friends thought I deserved better. Though my wife and I were initially invited to tag along, for reasons of money, time, and money, we were unable to enjoy the pleasures of the Italian countryside with our cohorts. Last month, two of my dearest friends went on a two-week excursion to Italy as part of a birthday gift (nice…).

What is a flat stanley