Usborne are marking the 70th Anniversary of D-Day by issuing a new Sticker Dressing book, and re-issuing one of their fantastic "See Inside" series.
"See Inside The Second World War" is a child-friendly but extremely detailed account of the run-up to the Normandy Landings. With the origins of the conflict, key facts and figures on the war, the soldiers who fought in it, and the technology used on the battlefield, it's a poignant and sometimes terrifying glimpse of what soldiers faced as they boarded fragile landing craft bound for the french coast.
Charlotte's Great Grandad Patrick was one of those soldiers, and though he seldom talked about the war, we know that he was in the Royal Fusiliers and somehow managed to survive one of the most horrific battles of the war, miraculously losing only the tip of his right index finger to sniper fire (we never had the guts to ask whether he was flicking a V for Victory sign at a machine gun nest when this happened!)
There are over 60 flaps for busy and curious little fingers to open and explore. Though it's more ideally suited to a child slightly older than Charlotte it did offer a really good insight into World War 2, and in particular the campaign that marked the turning point and eventual end of the war itself.
Charlotte's favourite method of using the books is to thoroughly dissect them until she has all the sticker sheets separated out - then she busily gets to work reading through every page before applying the stickers (very carefully, it must be said).
She asked me to write in the review that she thought it was funny that all the men seemed to wear their trousers pulled up so high! She has a point, actually!
Both books are available in time for D-Day commemorations on June 6th.
Charlotte's best bit: Wading into the Sticker Dressing book with gusto, then admiring her handiwork once completed.
Daddy's Favourite bit: Though it's always a tricky subject to tackle with younger children, Usborne's books are extremely good as an introductory step - in fact the "See Inside" series is such a fantastic way to engage children with history and fact-finding, it's good right up till they're a lot older than Charlotte (who is 6 and a complete history nut)
(Very kindly sent to us for review by Usborne Books)