See the city of London like never before in a stunning gift book from the award-winning Laura Carlin.

Explore the rich history and culture of London through the eyes of an award-winning illustrator. Laura Carlin’s gorgeous art is paired with a collection of poems, quotes and historical accounts to tell an idiosyncratic story of the greatest city in the world. From pre-history to present day, from famous events to the lives of everyday people, thousands of years of London’s history are celebrated through poems, excerpts and spellbinding illustrations in this beautiful and fascinating compendium.

London: A History is a large, hardcover, heavy children’s book which as you might have guessed from the title is all about the history of London. Starting 2.6M – 11,700 BCE – The Pleistocene Epoch era and ending in 2022 with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, this book covers many different time periods and years.

At 216 pages and covering some 93 different events, plus extra notes, acknowledgements, etc. The book can’t really to go into any full details on each subject but there is enough information present for children to learn the basics and then hopefully they will be intrigued to learn more via other sources.

The illustrations feature heavily throughout with many being full-page. I can’t say they were to my taste but each to their own.

Overall, London: A History is a fabulous book for any child who is learning or is interested in learning about London and how it became the large bustling capital city it is today.

Laura Carlin is the illustrator of The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, which was awarded an honorable mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award fiction category. Her artwork has been featured in Vogue, the New York Times, and the Guardian. The Promise is her first picture book. She lives in London.