Monday 29 May 2017

No Nancy No by Alice Tait (Walker Books)

We're off to London with a fab lift-the-flap book and probably one of the naughtiest girls to ever feature in a children's picture book...
Nancy could give Minnie the Minx a run for her money. Honestly, the whole way through this one we both tutted like a pair of Victorian schoolmarms at Nancy's various (and in a couple of cases nigh-on treasonous) antics but in Alice Tait's "No, Nancy, No!" her heart is 'sort of' in the right place.

Nancy and her faithful (or should that be long-suffering) friend Roger the Dachshund are off to the Capital for a spot of tourism.

At the gates of Buckingham Palace Roger and Nancy notice two children heading off into the city. The girl drops her teddy, and soon it's a mad dash across London as Nancy and Roger try to keep up with the children to give them their teddy back.

Nancy fancies herself as the new Banksy with a spot of illustration on a London Bus. 
Nancy, alas, can't resist a spot of mischief along the way. She loves daubing graffiti over everything in site (even a London Bus), she thinks nothing of stealing the crown jewels (don't they lock you up in the tower for that?) and before long she's being chased by a crew of policemen, an angry beefeater and a whole troupe of penguins (yes, she even managed to get up to mischief at London Zoo).

Alice's fabulous illustrative style - as seen on proper London maps no less!
Nancy and Roger must try to catch up with the children, and eventually after shinning up Nelson's Column their goal is in sight.

Superb lift-the-flap bits depict Nancy's madcap chase around the Tower of London (we feel very sorry for the Beefeaters though!)
Kids are going to absolutely love this. There's tons of lift-the-flap goodies to discover, and despite Nancy being thoroughly naughty we can't help thinking that she's exactly the sort of character kids are utterly drawn to (think Marmalade Atkins - whatever happened to her?)

A super whistle-stop tour of all the sights in London, with a rather neat little Royal twist at the end

"No, Nancy, No!" by Alice Tait is out now, published by Walker Books (kindly supplied for review).