As school holidays draw to a close, many students will have visited some of the famous cities featured in this book and may well enjoy revisiting some of the sites and sights they saw, and perhaps sharing some of their adventures. Others may be intrigued by what they discover under the flaps and decide that this is a place they want to visit in the future.
Whether it's the bustling streets of Tokyo, scenic Rio de Janeiro, or the ancient ruins of Rome, there is much to explore as they lift the flaps and learn about the history of legendary landmarks, glimpse stunning scenery and skylines, and see inside iconic museums and galleries. Being a British publication, London is not featured and the only Australian representative is a paragraph on the final page about Melbourne hosting the "nation's biggest sporting events."
But that omission offers the opportunity for students to work together to create a page about their state or territory's capital city prompting not only collaboration to decide on the six must-see places a tourist should visit but also research, writing and illustrating as they build the page. It could also spark the creation of a page about their home town and its surrounds, helping them see it through a new lens as well as learning about its history, particularly if the focus is on places that are unique and they explore its natural, built and heritage features. They might even create an illustrated map of the must-sees and must-dos, and create an itinerary for visitors to use that could be offered to the local Visitors' Centre. Information literacy with a real purpose!
This review can also be found here.
16 pages 9781409599180 Ages 7-11
Keywords: board book, architecture, cities, buildings, world history, lift the flap, cultural heritage, Social Studies Curriculum, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, part of a series, secrets
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
Also related to this series:
Look Inside Trains; Look Inside Outer Space; Look Inside a Farm; Look Inside A Construction Site; Look Inside How Things Work
