See Inside Houses Long Ago
Written by Rob Lloyd Jones
Illustrated by Barry Ablett
Published by Usborne Publishing
Once again we pose the question to publishers - "Why aren't there more 'lift the flap' books for older kids?"
Usborne's fantastic "See Inside" range is always a huge win for us, because it taps into a child's natural curiosity with awesome cutaways and lots of flaps to lift so that children can investigate the subject matter further. We have spotted various fantastic "See Inside" books at our local library and couldn't resist this one.
"See Inside Houses Long Ago" offers a potted history of various dwellings from around the world, ranging from amazing Viking long huts to the luxurious splendour of grand Egyptian houses.
Humour is used to good effect, with tons of detail and items to giggle at as you thumb through the pages.
There are over 80 flaps to lift, and it's great to lift the whole side wall of a house to spot all the things that lurk inside. Though kids are always wowed by the interactivity of tablet apps and computer-based learning, Charlotte still loves seeing books like this that really are great fun to read and play with.
Charlotte's best bit: A cheeky pet monkey ruining someone's day from a rooftop on the Egyptian house. Pew-EE!
Daddy's Favourite bit: Sumptuous illustrations and descriptive text but it's such a genius idea to create lift the flap books that aren't just for tiddlers. Love the "See Inside" range!