Book reviews - around the UK

See Inside London (An Usborne Flap Book) by Rob Lloyd Jones and Barry Ablett

 Family Guide: London (Eyewitness Travel) from Dorling Kindersley

London Stories by Jim Eldridge

The Bumper Book of London by Becky Jones and Clare Lewis

The cover tells us that this book has 'Everything you need to know about London and more...' An ambitious claim, but this book does pack in an enormous amount of information. The best thing is that much of it is unusual - this certainly isn't your ordinary guide book. It's a fascinating read and a great book to dip into and learn some intriguing facts to fascinate your friends and family - it's an excellent book for any lover of trivia. Broadly arranged by history, you will learn about art and architecture, landmarks, hidden places, ghosts, pearly kings and queens, festivals, street names, games, traditions, markets, football teams, and much, much more. On just one two page spread, there is London lingo, Georgian houses, Georgian secrets, a poem and a recipe - I can only give a small flavour of the contents here - but do get yourself a copy of this book!

 Time Out London for Children 2012

The guide for parents on how to enjoy London, whether you live there or are visiting. It's crammed with information on everything from shopping to sports, parks to parties, museums to movies. Detailed maps are included with references from the attractions. There are attractions listed to cover every possible interest together with all the practical information families need to prepare for a visit. This, the 2012 edition covers the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with details on what's happening and plenty of ways for children to get involved in sport, including motivating personal experiences. Conveniently pocked sized, this is a book to take around with you. You'll never be at a loss for ideas!

The Ladybird Book of London by John Lewesdon

A wonderful trip down Memory Lane! I remember this book so well - it was one of my prized books as a child. This is an exact facsimile of the original and it shows us the London of 50 years ago in a marvellous piece of social history. The underground map was particularly interesting - you and your children could have great fun comparing this with the current map.  Famous places are described with a picture on the opposite page and it is fascinating to see the changes have taken place. Find lots more fascinating books and information at http://www.ladybirdvintage.com/ How I wish I had kept all my old Ladybird books!

 London: A Three Dimensional Expanding City Skyline by Sarah McMenemy

A cleverly engineered book which would make a great souvenir after a visit to London. 12 famous buildings are included in this skyline, with 6 on each side, celeverly cut out to show the different outlines. Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, Piccadilly Circus are just some of the iconic landmarks included. Two little maps allow the user to pinpoint the locations and each buidling includes a brief description. This would make a lovely forefront to a display, either at home or in school - but it does need gentle handling!

 A Walk in London by Salvatore Rubbino

This is a super account of a walk through London, taken by a mum and her little girl. The walk as described in the book takes the best part of a day and is an ideal way to see the key sights our our wonderful historical capital city. Starting in Westminster, the duo visit St James's Park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and all the other key landmarks until they are back at Big Ben - just in time to see the royal family! Your child will love to share in the little girl's excitement as all the famous places come to life and they can follow the journey through the map on the endpapers. It is packed with absorbing facts and snippets of information. Charmingly illustrated in absorbing detail, this is a book to treasure as a memento of a wonderful day out or as a record of the capital.As well as a useful guide, it is also a great story and will be enjoyed as such.  It would be a super book for visiting children from abroad to take home or to be given as a gift.

Paddington's Guide to London by Michael Bond 

Of course, this journey around London starts at Paddington Station. In his own inimitable fashion, Paddington guides us around London and tells us lots of amusing anecdotes as we go. Useful maps preface each section and these are great for helping children to locate where they are and where to go next. Packed with full colour photos, most of them showing Paddington so we know he has really been there, this is a well produced book on heavy glossy paper, ready to withstand plenty of visits to our capital city - and to help with the excitement of planning those visits. And for those unable to get to London, it gives a really personal tour of all the important sites. It is a really readable book and I found out lots of things I didn't know. A useful address section at the back too. 

London Unlocked by Emily Kerr and Joshua Perry

This is one of the best books I have ever reviewed! It is a brilliant guidebook to London, aimed at children, and it will do a wonderful job of enthusing them to visit the sights - both famous and less well-known. I found many places and activities in here I have never thought of. Presented in the style of a conventional guidebook, there are 60 super places to visit, all with an outline of the fascinating activities available. Tips, facts, how to plan your visit and stickers to remind you how good it was. Design your own coat of arms; drive a tube train and much, much more. Not only an essential guide for those visiting London, but a great book for all children, to familiarise them with the marvels of our capital city. A well-produced book, this is excellent value for its wealth of inspiring information - very highly recommended. See the rest in the series at http://www.unlockedguides.com/

My First Book of London by Charlotte Guillain

This is an excellent introduction to London, featuring the places of most interest to children, and is an ideal school library resource. I like the way questions take the reader from one page to the next, giving the book a real coherence - for example, we are shown the top of a very tall pillar and asked where we are. Busy illustrations, full of detail, bring the capital to life and are perfect for introducing London prior to a visit. Children can see how much they remember in the quiz at the end. The book would make an excellent gift for young friends from abroad. I would love to see other British cities covered in the same format - children need to be introduced to all the marvellous places in the British Isles. 

Kids - Time Out London

As one would expect from Time Out books, this is a comprehensive guide to the capital. This edition is designed for Summer 2011. There are 25 day trips within an hour of London; all the shows currently on for children, Sarah McIntyre's guide to her favourite things, outdoor swimming, eating, shopping, activities and outdoor things to do, attractions and the Arts - it really is all here. Opening times, admission charges, website addresses and how to get there form part of each listing. Lots of illustrations - and some adverts. A useful and practical guide, light enough to carry around and durable enough just to last the summer.

England Unlocked by Tessa Girvan

Wales Unlocked by Joanne Owen

 England is Truly a Magical Place by Karl Woodbury

We do live in a wonderful country and the richness and variety of our heritage is brought out in this innovative book. Join twins Jenny and Lenny on a magical journey around England. The whole journey is related in catchy verse which conveys the excitement and speed of the journey as we travel with the twins from the Garden of England all around the country and back to London, effortlessly assimilating knowledge about geography, history and culture. The illustrations by Tony Crampton include maps of the whole journey so facts are put into geographical context - an important fact, often overlooked. The accompanying CD audiobook, read by Christopher Kent, brings the story alive. A fascinating book and I am delighted to learn it is one in a new series. Find out more and enjoy the activities at http://www.karlwoodbury.com/

England - Countries Around the World by Claire Throp

There are currently around 24 titles in this series from Raintree. They are a useful introduction to each country, with coverage of history, the landscape, wildlife, constitution, social life and culture. There is a useful fact file, a timeline, a glossary, resources for projects and a detailed index. All these add up to a book which is an excellent library resource, both for studying the subject and for learning how to use books to their full potential. Photos, diagrams and fact boxes add up to a very colourful, attrractive and accessible series.

Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk Unlocked by Chloe Jeffries

This guide covers some areas which may be less known, but which deserve to become well known. There are so many fascinating places in this region, that is super to see them included in this fabulous series. I thought I knew the areas reasonably well, but I found out some interesting facts - adults will enjoy these books as much as children, I think. This includes lots of nature activities, reflecting the character of the area, as well as historical places and fun activities - all presented in such a way that your child will really want to go there. Each attraction features on a two page spread which contains a huge amount of information, presented attractively and in a way that makes you want to read on, and has a star rating for the child to complete with the gold stars included - making this a lasting personal record and a super holiday memento. The Top 5 section at the end gives lots more ideas, such as things to look out for when travelling around. Packed with pictures and attractively presented, I would love to see this series stocked in the gift shops at all the attractions mentioned. A brilliant series. 

Devon and Cornwall Unlocked by Emily Kerr and Joshua Perry 

I love this series! So often, children know very little about the beautiful and varied country in which we live, and these books with their sense of fun and discovery are a great way to remedy that. All the facts that grown ups need, like opening hours, contact details and that all-important cost (including plenty of free places) are here but there is far more. Be prepared for plenty of groans at the puns along the way but I guarantee that these books are a great read. Plenty of facts about each place of interest, and each is chosen carefully to have appeal to children and presented in a way that will have them begging to be taken there. A wide range is covered, with some lesser-known attractions featuring - the guide includes riding on a tram, watching sheepdogs, seeing an outdoor play, King Arthur's Castle and many many more. There really is something for everyone.  Full of humour, fascinating facts, other nearby places to visit plus plenty of jokes and fun - a winning combination!