Thursday 16 August 2012

The Dog Detectives - Lost in London by Fin and Zoa, illustrated by Merika Suska (Maverick Books)














London is a huge, vibrant city and a favourite destination of ours. I lived there for many years but it was only when I moved away that I got to do the 'tourist bit' of visiting all the attractions and enjoying the way the city has changed immensely over the last 30 years.

In Fin and Zoa's latest Dog Detectives adventure, the two intrepid doggie investigators Jack and Poco Loco (based on Fin and Zoa's world-travelling rescue dogs themselves) are tasked with locating the missing ravens from The Tower of London. After a mischievous game of hide and seek, the birds are nowhere to be seen and as legend tells, if the ravens of the tower are lost, the kingdom will fall!

Chasing all over London and catching some of the wonderful landmarks, Jack and Deputy Poco Loco are soon hot on the trail, aided by a helpful punk rat.

Great artwork, and lots of learning opportunities abound in this lovely book. If you're planning a visit to London or if you've recently been, this book will strike a chord with you and your children as you find out lots of interesting facts about the landmarks, the history and the culture of our capital. The fast-paced story is excitingly woven into the learning experience in such a cool way that a lot of other books should definitely be taking their cues from the Dog Detectives series.

Charlotte's best bit: Wait a minute, doesn't Thor look a bit like Where's Wally?

Daddy's favourite bit: Sumptuous illustrations, loved the London Underground bit!

Rating: 4 and a half out of 5 stars