This is London

A travelogue for even the youngest anglophile, this oversized picture book graphically depicts some of the most famous features of London, England. Through each flip of the page the reader joins a guided tour through the bustling city as if on the top of a double decker bus. Readers will rush past

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landmark buildings, imposing statues, charming neighborhoods, and impressive structures, while meeting local inhabitants and learning about the culture, government, and technology of the lively city. First published in 1959, the informative book has been modified for the 21st century by providing a factual list of updates in the back matter. A perfect coffee table book, the length of the descriptive text and the attention-grabbing full-page spread watercolor paintings makes this a good book for the single fourth grade reader and up to pick up and snuggle up on the couch with a cup of tea and to be effectively transported to the London of old.

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This Is London is one of a series of travel guides for children written and illustrated by Miroslav Sasek beginning in the late 1950s. Sasek describes and illustrates many familiar London landmarks. He also describes cultural aspects one might observe there, including business apparel, tea time and

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entertainment such as cricket, dart playing in pubs, and open air markets. Some of the facts that were true when the book was published in 1959 are no longer accurate. While the original text and illustrations have been preserved, an asterisk system directs readers to a page at the back of the book with updated information (as of 2004). Society was more formal in the late 1950s, and the style of the illustrations and muted color palate reflect the era. Despite some dated features, the book still maintains a timeless feel. Recommended for lovers of London of all ages.

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I loved reading it and made me want to go and travel as quick as I could!

I read the 1970 edition (from a thrift store) and was charmed.  I wish I'd read it as a girl, so I would have been able to see the settings of the British children's books I was reading.  So, Piccadilly Circus is (was?) their version of Times Square, it seems....  Of course, I doubt there are

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still hippies thronging Chelsea, and now there's the Eye... probably most of the landmarks can still be seen, though.  I do recommend this (and probably any of the series by Sasek) to you if you're bringing your children on a tour.

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