A Walk in London

A Walk in London by Salvatore Rubbino

Candlewick Press, 2011

A mother and daughter spend the day exploring London - sights include Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Covington Garden, St. Paul's Cathedral and many more. The mixed media illustrations, a little retro-ish, are wonderful and provide lots to look at, although the pages never feel cluttered.

The book can be read straight through, focusing on the larger text, or you can stop and read all the fascinating facts and bits of trivia included in the scenes as well. For example, when the duo admires Buckingham Palace, the reader learns that there are two flags that fly over the Palace - one for when the monarch is away and one for when the monarch is in London, that the Palace has its own post office, as well as the number of rooms in the entire building, and details about the Changing of the Guard.

When the mother and her daughter see the Thames, the reader gets a fold-out of the river that offers a complete view of the river and surrounding areas. At the end of the book, the royals' car (previously mentioned) is shown again, and kids can go back and see how many other illustrations show the car. Because, after one reading, you'll definitely want to go back and look at everything again.

London is one of my favorite cities, but even though I'm a little partial, this is a great introduction to a fabulous city, and even adults are sure to enjoy it.

Also look for Rubbino's A Walk in New York.

Reviewed from library copy