It is never too soon to introduce tiny tots to one of the most spectacular cities in the world- London! This collection of interactive, lift-the-flap, boldly illustrated books will provide hours of entertainment along with a nice introduction to the capital of England. Interestingly, indie bookshops - despite the current state of retail - are on the rise, after two decades plus of decline. Written from the heart and experience of Michael Barton, A Different Kettle of Fish takes readers on a trip from the author’s familiar university surroundings to the weird and wonderful world of central London. With the author’s rare and fascinating neurological makeup at play, readers are enjoying a first-hand account of life from a radically different perspective. Reading a book about London begins to familiarize my boys with the city and involves them in our planning. My youngest likes to know our travel plans well head of time, which is why children’s books are especially important to our family.He doesn’t like surprises, so if this kid is going to see Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square, he wants to know what to expect when he gets there. The Hyde Park Squirrels‘ are very good reads and probably one of the best collection published this year. I liked the engaging stories and also the powerful illustrations because they’re not simple and not so common. They’re absolutely gorgeous to look at and full of details.

Explore soaring skyscrapers, elegant cathedrals and bustling shopping streets – and discover fascinating facts and details beneath the flaps. The important moral at the end of the story will encourage children to respect other people’s property and to stay safe. Did you know that a polar bear used to fish near the Tower of London? Or that ice bowling on the frozen Thames was once a popular pastime?We all know the many, varied benefits of reading to young children, and as children grow older and discover their own passion for books (hopefully) feeding their imaginations and thirst for books on a range of subject matters is key. In the last gasp of local second-hand bookstores about 10 years ago I happened across this strange volume on display. It immediately caught my eye and stirred my love for 50's and 60's illustration, architecture and cities. It is a battered hardcover from 1959, the first printing, and it has the wonderful old book smell. It looks as if it was loved, and it has managed to find another lover in my partner and myself, and our future children too.

It is also a book about London seen through the eyes of a special young man who does not take things for granted. You will experience a London as you have never seen it before! A true London gem, Discover Children's Story Centre combines immersive, book-centric exhibitions (the newest one, Fairy Tales, opens Feb 2020) with storytelling sessions and story-themed play spaces, both indoor and out. The bookshop has a selection of books for children up to 11. A mix of modern and classic stories, you'll also find the books that inspired the centre's exhibitions. The story is about squirrels Lucas and Holly Bushytail who were born in the New Forest but were separated whilst still babies. Their parents, who were very poor, went to America to find work. After promising to send for their children when they were settled, the parents were not heard from again. Holly was sent to live with her great-uncle, George MacDonald, who lived in Hyde Park in the centre of London. Luke remained in the forest with his uncle Peter and Aunt Sally. Neither young Holly nor Luke knew of each other, until one day… Nicola Barr is one of the two literary agents managing the children’s list of The Bent Agency in Richmond, London. After working for widely respected businesses such as HarperCollins and Greene & Heaton, she continued to excel in her new agency by representing some of the most successful authors in fiction.

Every book you donate will be gifted to a child in one of our partner schools, prisons, women’s groups and food banks

Apart from nonfiction and sci-fi for adult readers, Ella also loves YA and children’s fiction. In particular, she would love to represent new writers whose ethnicity, race, or gender deserves more representation in the field.

For example, Nicola manages Brian Conaghan. He’s the author of the enlightening and amusing YA novel When Mr. Dog Bites and the multi-award-winning teen coming-of-age fiction The Weight of a Thousand Feathers. Furthermore, Kate has built an excellent reputation in managing authors of YA and children’s literature over the years. One of her most talented clients is Helen Watts, the author of the acclaimed children’s historical fiction One Day in Oradour. The Children’s Bookshop also holds regular events and book signings with visiting authors. We’ve met Cressida Cowell here, author of the How to Train Your Dragon series. Past authors have included Liz Pichon. St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Billingsgate fish market, the Monument and one of the oldest and smallest churches in London, St Ethelburga look splendid in Sasek's illustrations; the last named has today been restored and is open as a 'Centre for Reconciliation and Peace'. Fleet Street is depicted as the centre of the newspaper industry (updated to Canary Wharf in the notes) and in 1959 there were apparently 6000 buses in London, red ones and green ones. The latter were the Green Line coaches that took passengers into the surrounding countryside [Linda and I used to take those occasionally at weekends and armed with 'Green Line walks' we would try and negotiate our way round the countryside - it often failed and the only excuse I can offer is that we were quite young then!]. If you love London half as much as I do, you cannot get enough reading about this great city that keeps us all hooked up. It was about time that we create a comprehensive list of well known children’s books about London. Enjoy! Here’s London Mums’ favourite children’s books about the British Capital. Beatrice and the London Bus book series

We won a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2020, testament to the value we place on volunteers and the positive experience our volunteers have when they spend time with us.