Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ISBN 978-0349131801 £6.99 The cover of this book really hooked me for a start but, of course, one must never judge a book by its cover. This was a complex tale that made an adult reader like me think hard. It is certainly a book that would be read…
Franklin Watts ISBN 9781445145556 £12.99 One of a series of six, this heavily and colourfully illustrated book provides a full and informative picture of Van Gogh the man and his works, both famous and less well-known. We learn of some of his artistic influences with comparative illustrations to show how he based some of his…
Wayland Books ISBN 9780750297691 £12.99 This latest addition to the ‘History Detective’ series focuses on the history of London. The book covers important events or periods in the story of London, from its foundation by the Romans right up to the present day. Each spread contains text, images, extracts from a relevant primary source, as…
Big Picture Press ISBN 9781783701889 £20 What a great concept – 130 artefacts from a wide variety of civilisations. Each artefact is stunningly drawn in great detail, and explained in context in the accompanying text. Arranging the content by continent makes finding what you are looking for incredibly easy, although some civilisations, like Ancient Sumer,…
Templar Publishing ISBN 9781783700554 £12.99 When Mr Barleycorn brings home a green baby he finds in the hedgerow, Mrs Barleycorn is at first unimpressed and ultimately angry at having such a creature brought into her home. But as fruit and vegetables take over their living space, transport and means of communication, the Barleycorns come to…
Wayland Books ISBN 97780750298209 £12.99 Published to coincide with the 350th Anniversary of the Great Fire in 1666, this re-telling of the story is lavishly and strikingly illustrated. It describes London at the time, the cause of the fire, attempts to put it out and the planned rebuilding of the City afterwards. There are some…
Frances Lincoln ISBN 9781847808257 £8.99 This is a delightfully illustrated introduction to life in Ancient Egypt, from pharaohs to farmers, from gods to warriors. Attractively written in an engaging manner, it had my 11 year old reading it from cover to cover. The examples used are of central importance to the topic as, for example,…
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books ISBN 9781847808141 £6.99 Laurence Anholt’s Artists series of eight celebrates famous artists through true stories about the real children who knew them. The little dancer is Marie van Goethen who dreams of becoming the most famous ballerina in the world. Degas visited her ballet school in Paris where he drew the…
Nosy Crow ISBN 9780857634498 £6.99 This book is unlike many that I have read before. At first glance it appears a little confusing but stick with it as within a few pages you are hooked into a new world that will take you on unusual adventures. The story will open up the reader’s imaginations to…