Maisy Goes to London

May 1, 2016

PreS-Another well-done entry in an already popular series. Maisy the mouse travels to and throughout London and shows readers about all of the sights one would hope to see. The accurate illustrations are bold and easy for a child to relate to. The text includes many important vocabulary words and would serve as a great starting point for a conversation about traveling. This book is a terrific centerpiece for a lesson in geography, continents, famous places, or great cities. Cousins captures the spirit and energy of exploring a city and makes it palatable for even a very young child. VERDICT This is a fun and rewarding title and is perfect for introducing geography or preparation for travel.-Shannan Hicks, J.S. Clark Elementary School, LA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
Maisy the mouse and her pals visit London. They ride a double-decker bus, admire the lights in Piccadilly Circus, pose on a stone lion in Trafalgar Square, pass Buckingham Palace, walk along the Thames, stop in at the Tower of London, take a ride on the Underground, and more. At each stop, shutterbug Maisy takes a picture, and her captioned photographs appear on the rear endpapers. (Except for the one of all the friends together taken by a kind penguin bobby, every single snapshot is endearingly off-kilter.) In this whirlwind tour of London, Cousins makes a few odd choices. While all the sights the friends visit are standard tourist destinations, it's a little peculiar that in this book for toddlers and preschoolers the protagonists hang out in the National Gallery rather than take a spin on the London Eye, for instance. Though the latter attraction is depicted in one scene, the emphasis is on culture and education rather than strict entertainment. Tots introduced to London through this book as preparation for a family visit will recognize the ravens and the Beefeaters but will be unprepared for the blood-soaked history of the Tower of London said Beefeaters cheerily unfold. As a visit with Maisy goes, it's a typically colorful day, but readers should be aware they'll have to mind the gaps. (Picture book. 2-5)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2016
Crikey! Maisy and the gang take in the sights of the UK's capital. Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, Big Ben--Cousins gives them her inimitable blocky treatment, and they look smashing. It's a terrific tour featuring Cousins's ever-cordial narration ("It's Buckingham Palace, where the Queen lives. / Hello, Your Majesty"); the only thing missing is the customary (low-stakes) conflict for Maisy.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)