Check out new children’s books about London – picture and activity books for little kids, illustrated biographies of famous London residents, and novels of mystery and adventure.

• London Calls! by Gabby Dawnay, Alex Barrow – “Big Ben is chiming; it’s a quarter to eight and London is calling, we mustn’t be late.” Take a charming tour around London, past lions and palaces, zoom on the tube, spot the Gherkin, find out Prince William’s favorite teatime cake, and more. Irresistible illustrations! (Picture book)

• Tate Kids Modern Art by James Lambert, Sharna Jackson – Visiting a modern art museum with younger kids can be a challenge, e.g. why is that lobster telephone or old toilet in the galleries, what’s so special about that blue rectangle, this painting looks like a comic book? Before going to the Tate Modern, activities about ten different artworks will help kids understand the artists, and also make their own creations. (Activity book)

• Stickyscapes London by Robert Samuel Hanson – Fold out multi-page cityscapes and use 100 different reusable stickers to create scenes with William & Kate, Sherlock Holmes, Queen Elizabeth I, Charles Dickens, Peter Pan, double decker buses, black cab, crown jewels, ravens of the Tower, etc. (Activity book)

• Who Was Charles Dickens? by Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso, Mark Edward Geyer. Charles Dickens lived and wrote in London all his life; he would walk miles through the city, drawing inspiration from the crowded streets. A comprehensive illustrated biography of this best-loved author, find out what is the meaning of the London address: “Warren’s Blacking, 30 Strand.” (Chapter book)

• Who Was Winston Churchill? by Ellen Labrecque, Jerry Hoare. Illustrated biography of Winston Churchill, a great wartime leader, twice the prime minister of Great Britain, Nobel prize wining author. When London was bombed continuously by the Nazis in World War II, Churchill stayed in the city and gave radio broadcasts encouraging the nation – it was his finest hour. (Chapter book)

• The Case of the Missing Moonstone (The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency) by Jordan Stratford, Kelly Murphy. Fizzy mystery adventure with clever girls Ada Byron (full of tigers) and Mary Godwin, aided by youthful Charles (Dickens) and Peebs (Percy Bysshe Shelly). How will they trap the thief disguised as a fishmonger disguised as a gentleman? Irresistible read, delightfully illustrated! (Chapter book)

• Mira’s Diary: Bombs Over London by Marissa Moss. Mira time travels back to 1917 London, where suffragettes protest votes for women and German zepplins bomb the city. Searching for a spy’s briefcase, Mira meets H.G. Wells, Beatrix Potter, and gets help from Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. (Illustrated chapter book)

And find our complete list of London’s children’s books here: London