Maisy goes to the city by Lucy Cousins

Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 978 1 4063 3830 0
(Age: Pre school) Warmly recommended. Picture book. A Maisy First Experience Book, this tale has Maisy and her friends leaving their home, catching the bus to the city to meet their friend Dotty. She has just moved to the city and is keen to show them her new surroundings, the traffic, tall buildings, the number of people walking along the pavement, and the shops. When they go to the toy shop, they must cross the road using the traffic lights, and once inside have a choice between using the lift or the escalator. Maisy pays for her purchases but realises that her friends are not with her. An announcement is made and they are reunited. They then go to the square where they have coffee and listen to the music being played. Travelling home to Dotty's house means going on the underground and finding their correct line, but while riding in the carriage is a squash, but they all have had an enjoyable day.
This is a lovely take of being in the city, referencing everything children would need to know while there with their parents. A teacher or parent would make good use of this little book in describing to a child what life in the city is like, talking about the things they may not know about or may have to deal with while in a different place. The gentle story with its subtle hints of getting lost or being overwhelmed with the goods in a shop will be talking points for a child and their parent, or a teacher and the class. Lucy Cousin's bold, outlined drawings will be familiar to many children and delight those new to this lovely series.
Fran Knight