For this review, I had to hand over the reins to THE BOSS. That’s my six-year-old. She’s learning all about the Victorians at school, and as this book has Victorians in it, she must be consulted. It just so happens that the six-year-old knows a LOT of thing about the Victorians.
Thing like…
“They sent little boys up chimneys and made them clean them. And if they didn’t do it properly, then they’d either whack them with a stick or make the fire go up the chimney. I’m not quite sure how the little boys get back down after the fire?” * looks alarmed *
Onto the book…
“I love this book. And sometimes my brother fights for it. What I like about it, is that I’m learning about Victorian houses at school. My favourite chapter is “The Twenties”. I know it’s not the Victorians, but I like the STYLE. The wallpaper is soooo great. And look at those three mirrors together. It’s so wonderful. I wish I was in the twenties, I’d love to wear their fashion clothes, all sparkled with gems and gold.”
Moving onto THE VICTORIANS…
“I love the Victorians because they invented rocking horses.”
I was not expecting that.
As for what my precocious six-year-old loved most about this book…
“The pictures are spectacular, especially the Georgian one. It’s SO FANCY. They show you what’s inside – not just what’s on the front of a house. I’d love to be there and have a nice morning tea with little buns on the table. Oh, and also the WALLPAPER!!!”
At the end of this book review – I can confirm that it was the WALLPAPER that my daughter loved best of all. She liked to imagine herself inside the house and to pore over the fashion of the time. The text is super accessible for this age group, peppered with interesting details. Who knew there were no forks in Medieval Times?
And as is the way with most six-year-olds, mine wants to score the book…
“I give it infinity out of 100.”
That’s top marks for Goldie Hawk, Sarah Gibb and the Nosy Crow gang. And their lovely book is now heading into school to support the curriculum on houses through history.
