"Charlotte in London"

AUTHOR: Joan MacPhail Knight
PICTURES BY: Melissa Sweet
PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books DATE: 2008
TOTAL PAGES: 56 CHAPTERS: No
TO BE READ BY CHILD? Yes, ages 7 - 10
ILLUSTRATIONS: Sweet cunningly chooses to use late-Victorian impressionist portraits and landscapes to compliment the text in which the story is set. By incorporating artwork of famous artists from this late 19th century, she encourages children to take a more serious interest in a style of art they may otherwise not find interesting. The images Sweet selects work exceptionally well in paralleling the events described in the travel log, making the book an excellent British cultural text for children.
SUMMARY: Charlotte in London is a story about a fictitious young French girl, Charlotte Glidden, and her travels to London with her mother and father. The reader follows Charlotte’s adventures as she documents them in her journal, which spans approximately five-months. Charlotte takes the reader through her merry voyage across the English Channel to a world unlike any she has ever known. Upon arriving in London, the reader travels back in time experiencing Victorian London through the eyes of this young girl, seeing such famous sites like the Tower of London, Big Ben, Piccadilly Square, Buckingham Palace, as well as attending parties at the well-famed Savoy Hotel. Following her mother and artist father throughout the city and local countryside, Charlotte and the reader learn about the culture of London as well as the significance of art in the lives of people from this period. Charlotte meets friends and famous artists as she roams about the city, helping her mother eventually fulfill her one wish, to have her portrait painted by well-known artist John Singer Sargent.
COMMENTS: This is a wonderful book for children as it combines childhood adventure with British culture, thus allowing a child to learn and grow in their appreciation not only for a different culture, but also for a different culture from a different period of history. Additionally, the way Knight and Sweet work together to intertwine the artwork and text, it leaves the reader believing the portraits are meant specifically for the story, making the book truly enjoyable. From this book, a child gains a deeper insight into the customs of the people from the Victorian period, quite significant in European history. In so doing, the story makes this early British culture most attractive, leaving one nearly wanting to jump into the pages to live among this most delightful and imaginative society. This book is a true gem for children who want to become familiar with Victorian British culture.