A sumptuous work of non-fiction, published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books, but sure to delight readers of any age. The informative and engaging text combined with the striking images are likely to be enjoyed by anyone who has ever travelled on the London Underground. I have seen a group of 9 and 10 year-old children entranced for almost an hour by the comprehensive coverage of absolutely everything you could wish to know about this famous transport system. 

The gorgeous, painted illustrations, by Sarah McMenemy, have a slightly nostalgic feel which seems perfectly in keeping with the historic content at the start of the book. I learned from the back cover that her illustrations are featured on the platforms of Shadwell Station and I am now determined to visit them the next time I am in London. There is quite a lot of text on each page, perfectly readable for 9 and 10 year-olds and packed with interesting facts, but younger children might want to read this with an adult.

Personally, I have always loved the iconic LONDON Tube map, thus I enjoyed gazing at the illustrated tube map towards the end of the book. I was also impressed at the stylish use of the tube map design for the history timeline.

I wholeheartedly recommend this stunning book, as a fascinating insight into an essential part of London, and for its many cross-curricular links in the primary school curriculum.

 

I am most grateful to toppsta.com and Bloomsbury Children’s Publishing for my gifted copy of this book. A review has previously appeared on the toppsta.com website.